ecryptfs-manager

ecryptfs-manager

--help
    Display help information and exit.

--version
    Display version information and exit.

ecryptfs-manager provides a user-friendly interface for managing encrypted home directories using eCryptfs. It simplifies common tasks like setting up encryption, mounting and unmounting encrypted directories, and changing passwords. It primarily acts as a wrapper around lower-level eCryptfs tools, providing a higher level of abstraction and a more intuitive experience, especially for new users or those who prefer a GUI-driven approach.

The tool's focus is typically on graphical interfaces, offering wizard-like procedures for encrypting user data. Behind the scenes, it interacts with the eCryptfs kernel module to perform the encryption and decryption operations. It simplifies the mounting and unmounting of eCryptfs filesystems, managing keys, and enabling automatic mounting at login. The intention is to allow standard users to secure their data without detailed knowledge of the underlying eCryptfs mechanisms, preventing unauthorized access to sensitive information. It is often integrated into desktop environments for seamless user experience.

ecryptfs-manager relies on the eCryptfs kernel module and associated tools. It's primarily designed for desktop environments and may not be suitable for headless servers. The graphical user interface is a core component, so it requires a desktop environment to run. Note that eCryptfs is considered a legacy encryption solution and is no longer actively developed. Consider alternatives like fscrypt or LUKS for new deployments.

ecryptfs-manager handles key management to some extent, generally leveraging user passwords or passphrases to derive encryption keys. Losing the original password can result in permanent data loss, so backups are crucial.

eCryptfs, and by extension ecryptfs-manager, has limitations compared to newer encryption technologies. Performance can be an issue, and there may be compatibility concerns with certain file systems or applications. It is recommend to research other, more modern options.

ecryptfs-manager was developed to simplify the use of eCryptfs, particularly for end users. It aimed to abstract away the complexities of command-line configuration and management. It became popular for personal home directory encryption on Linux distributions, before other modern solutions became more available.

ecryptfsd(8), mount.ecryptfs(8), umount.ecryptfs(8)