me, 2.0: easy to use USB key with crypto (OpenBSD)

me, 2.0: jose nazario beauty and the street

easy to use USB key with crypto (OpenBSD)

i've started using an encrypted filesystem on my USB storage key under OpenBSD. it's pretty easy using vnconfig -k, only you have to remember your passphrase (and i don't think you can easily change it). based on what this mailing list post says and this howto, you should be able to get this working. i use a 64 MB version of this key.

here's the script i use to manage the device, i keep it as $HOME/bin/crypto-usb:

#!/bin/ksh

# main()

if [ $# -lt 1 ]; then
        echo "usage: `basename $0` <create|start|stop>" >&2 && exit 1
fi

ACTION=$1
shift

case ${ACTION} in
        create)
                sudo mount /dev/sd0i /mnt
                sudo rm -f /mnt/*
                # XXX
                # assumes a 64MB key
                sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/mnt/key.img bs=1024 count=64000
                sudo vnconfig -cvk /dev/svnd0c /mnt/key.img
                # you get prompted for a passphrase
                sudo newfs /dev/svnd0c
                sudo vnconfig -u svnd0
                sudo umount /mnt
                echo "new filesystem ready to start"
	;;
        start)
                sudo mount /dev/sd0i /mnt
                sudo vnconfig -c -v -k svnd0c  /mnt/key.img 
                sudo mount /dev/svnd0a /mnt2/
        ;;
        stop)
                sudo umount /mnt2
                sudo vnconfig -u svnd0
                sudo umount /mnt
                echo "it is safe to remove the USB key now"
        ;;
        *)
                echo "usage: `basename $0` <start|stop>" >&2 && exit 1
        ;;
esac

exit 0

now you can move confidential data around with less worry.

May 4, 2004: fixed a couple of typos, pointed out by goony.

Originally Posted: Saturday, Nov 01, 2003 @ 07:13pm
Updated: May 4, 2004 08:51 am

next Wednesday, May 05, 2004 @ 12:58pm | previous Sunday, May 02, 2004 @ 10:48pm | archives

Last modified: Tuesday, May 04, 2004 @ 07:51am

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