Re: [LUG] Putting a password on a file or folder

You want to replace the file manager (and all file managers that run on eg the command line) with one that demands a password, and has a means of determining it to be correct.

You then need to prevent any new program being installed which has the file-opening capability which means essentially all programs and updates I think.

You need similarly to replace each program capable of directly opening files of whatever sort with one which won't...

On Sun, 13 Dec 2015 at 17:53 Neil Winchurst <barnaby@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On Sun, 13 Dec 2015 16:16:15 +0000
Martijn Grooten <martijn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> On Sun, Dec 13, 2015 at 03:42:51PM +0000, Neil Winchurst wrote:
> > It seemed so simple to me. Change an already existing file by
> > adding a password. From now on when I click on that file to open it
> > a small window appears asking for the password. I type in the
> > password and the file opens and I can treat like any normal file.
> > Without the password I cannot access it.
>
> When you click on a file to open it, your computer looks at its
> extension (.odf, .mp3, .txt etc.) to decide which program to use to
> open it. If the name of the encrypted file wasn't different, the
> program (for example LibreOffice it it's an .odf file) wouldn't know
> how to handle the encrypted content.
>
> Of course, the encryption tool could give the file a new name, e.g.
> mydocument.odf.encrypted and then the decryption tool would show a
> window to enter your password upon clicking it. It could then open the
> file with the correct program (LibreOffice in this case).
>
> But this program doesn't know about the file being encrypted, so it
> might save temporary unencrypted copies on the system. These could be
> tidied up when closing the file, when the encryption program takes
> control, but what if you turn off the computer in the meantime?
>
> For some users, such scenarios might not matter, but for many others
> they do; hence no one would want to write an encryption tool like the
> one you describe (or so I would imagine), even though the request is
> entirely reasonable.
>
> However, apart from using an encrypted directory or partition, it's
> worth noting that several programs (including LibreOffice) allow you
> to encrypt files. In this case, the program itself knows the file is
> encrypted.
>
> Martijn.
>
>
Thanks for all that help.I am asking the wrong question it seems. I am
not wanting the file to be encrypted at all. What I am looking for is a
way to add a password to any file (leaving the file itself
unchanged) so that I need to enter that password in order to access
that file. As I said, when I click on the file a small window comes up
asking for the password. Type that in and I can access the file. If I
cannot provide the password the file won't open.

I envisage the password check to happen first, then and only then, if I
have provided the correct password, will the program look at the
extension to decide which program to use to run it.

I was also hoping to add a password as above to any folder. My accounts
folder would be a good example. Rather than set up a password for each
file, just one for the folder.

Yes, I do know that individual files in LibreOffice can be encrypted. I
have also used Truecrypt.

It seems a different approach is needed,

thanks,

Neil

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