3 ms·

Can anyone explain how TrueCrypt works for OS X? Could I have my entire home directory on the hidden partition? What about their hidden operating system feature

Can anyone explain how TrueCrypt works for OS X? Could I have my entire home directory on the hidden partition? What about their hidden operating system feature? So I can have my normal OS as the decoy OS and then have a hidden Linux OS (as example) that I use for sys adm type stuff and boot to it when I need to? Can VMWare or Parallels see this partition and create a VM based on it?

Groxx 16y ago
Essentially, you can't true-crypt anything that can't run TrueCrypt before you need access to it. So you wouldn't be able to run TC and enter your password prior to logging in, which requires your home directory. Perhaps this could be sidestepped, but I'd think it'd be a mega-hack unless you can boot to a USB drive which can decrypt things and then boot OSX. I haven't heard of anyone doing that though, probably because Macs are a bit different with their bootup. You're essentially stuck making a file-as-a-volume or a hidden partition, though I don't know how / how well hidden partitions work in OSX. Once your file / hidden partition is mounted, it's just another mounted volume. Anything which can read / write to a volume it's not on shouldn't notice a thing. Also, it looks like it might just be Windows which gets the hidden-OS capability, as it requires a TC boot-loader on-disk or on an external booting device. Which means it should be possible for others as well, but it sounds like they haven't done it yet. http://www.truecrypt.org/docs/?s=hidden-operating-system http://www.truecrypt.org/docs/?s=hidden-operating-system
elai 16y ago
Truecrypt doesn't work, but you have the FileVault feature built into OSX and PGP whole disk encryption: http://paulstamatiou.com/review-pgp-whole-disk-encryption-for-mac-os-x http://paulstamatiou.com/review-pgp-whole-disk-encryption-fo...

3 ms·

Can anyone explain how TrueCrypt works for OS X? Could I have my entire home directory on the hidden partition? What about their hidden operating system feature

by jason_slack 16y ago

Groxx 16y ago
Essentially, you can't true-crypt anything that can't run TrueCrypt before you need access to it. So you wouldn't be able to run TC and enter your password prior to logging in, which requires your home directory. Perhaps this could be sidestepped, but I'd think it'd be a mega-hack unless you can boot to a USB drive which can decrypt things and then boot OSX. I haven't heard of anyone doing that though, probably because Macs are a bit different with their bootup. You're essentially stuck making a file-as-a-volume or a hidden partition, though I don't know how / how well hidden partitions work in OSX. Once your file / hidden partition is mounted, it's just another mounted volume. Anything which can read / write to a volume it's not on shouldn't notice a thing. Also, it looks like it might just be Windows which gets the hidden-OS capability, as it requires a TC boot-loader on-disk or on an external booting device. Which means it should be possible for others as well, but it sounds like they haven't done it yet. http://www.truecrypt.org/docs/?s=hidden-operating-system http://www.truecrypt.org/docs/?s=hidden-operating-system
elai 16y ago
Truecrypt doesn't work, but you have the FileVault feature built into OSX and PGP whole disk encryption: http://paulstamatiou.com/review-pgp-whole-disk-encryption-for-mac-os-x http://paulstamatiou.com/review-pgp-whole-disk-encryption-fo...