Best freeware for portable encrypted file containers

I'm contemplating setting up a mechanism to pass a ~1GB portable encrypted
container file among Android, Linux, Windows, & iOS devices using
open-source freeware, if possible.

Have any of you already done that on all 4 common consumer platforms?

Which freeware did you use on each of the four common consumer platforms?
1. Windows
2. Linux
3. Android
4. iOS

On 11 Sep 2018 04:37:33 GMT, Arlen Holder wrote:

Which freeware did you use on each of the four common consumer platforms?
1. Windows
2. Linux
3. Android
4. iOS

I found the solution which was easy for operating systems other than iOS!

Turns out that, yet again, *iOS is brain dead* compared to all other common
consumer operating systems.

*Again and again day in & day out, iOS users are forced to _just give up_*

1. Windows === Veracrypt freeware with Truecrypt-style containers
2. Linux === Veracrypt freeware with Truecrypt-style containers
3. Android === EDS Lite freeware with Truecrypt-style containers
4. *iOS === there is no freeware available that handles this simple task*

References:
https://www.veracrypt.fr/en/Downloads.html
https://www.ghacks.net/2018/04/03/ve...date-released/
https://www.veracrypt.fr/en/Android%...20Support.html
Android freeware EDS http://sovworks.com/eds/
Android freeware https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...ks.eds.android
iOS *payware only!* Disk Decipher http://disk-decipher.hekkihek.nl/
iOS *payware only!* Crypto Disks https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cryp...te/id889549308

As always, the only way to get the functionality on iOS is to pay for it.
*As always, the overall cost of ownership of iPhones is astronomical.*

In article , Arlen Holder
wrote:

iOS *payware only!* Crypto Disks
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cryp...te/id889549308

As always, the only way to get the functionality on iOS is to pay for it.
*As always, the overall cost of ownership of iPhones is astronomical.*

it must really suck where 99 cents is a financial burden.

On 11 Sep 2018 19:59:36 GMT, nospam wrote:

it must really suck where 99 cents is a financial burden

The point is that there is absolutely zero functionality on the iPhone that
isn't already on Android, which we've proven time and again, as nobody on
this planet can find any app functionality that is on iOS that isn't
already on Android.
Is there a single bit of functionality on iOS that isn't already on Android?
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/misc.phone.mobile.iphone/trNDEOFg-A4%5B101-125%5D

We long ago proved that Apple has never once made a best-in-class app that
actually works in the real world (where Apple says the real world is "not
supported").
Has Apple ever created a best-in-class iOS app that works OUTSIDE the walled garden?
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/misc.phone.mobile.iphone/cx1caxsBaUc%5B276-300%5D

Meanwhile, there is *tons* of app functionality on a five year old Android
device that isn't on the latest iPhones at any price, e.g., automatic phone
call recording, selecting any app launcher you want, choosing any
repository, organizing your desktop how you want, debugging wifi with
graphical display of all available access point signal strength,
torrenting, youtube red clones for free, APK backups on the local storage
device that are portable across devices, an official Guardian-supported Tor
app, ability to mount read/write the entire visible file system simply by
plugging it into native Windows by USB (sans the need for the iTunes
abomination), etc.
How hard would it be to name a hundred functional things Android apps do that iOS apps just can't do?
https://groups.google.com/d/msg/misc.phone.mobile.iphone/OAls8ZO1dCI/L2xeT4ktBQAJ

Since tomorrow there will be a huge line of Apple owners waiting up all
night just for the chance to *ditch* their phones as soon as they possibly
can, it just goes to show that, always, despite the imaginary belief system
of the Apple Apologists, the overall cost of ownership of iPhones is
astronomically high for lousy performance.
Comparative Resale Values of Flagship Phones, Including Variations Among Carriers
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/misc.phone.mobile.iphone/VWcr8qj2bh8%5B1-25%5D

For example, there are currently nine (9) Android phones on top of the best
iPhone ever tested for camera output on DXOMark.
Is there is a *single* useful photographic functionality on Apple iOS cameras that isn't already on Android?t
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/comp.mobile.android/Ijrtqzt29g4%5B151-175%5D

Where Apple historically can barely scrape the very *bottom* of the top ten
in Camera output, with Android phones almost always, if not always,
dominating Apple on Camera output quality.
http://www.bild.me/bild.php?file=4232339dxomark20180907.jpg
https://www.dxomark.com/category/mobile-reviews/

As another example, we've shown that the Moto X4 has far better hardware
than the iPhone 8 in almost all respects, where the iPhone 8 lack of
functionality is about *twice as expensive* as the equivalent Android
functionality.
https://groups.google.com/d/msg/comp.mobile.android/CxMAGla24ss/wCcQcQI8EgAJ

Worse, we've proven that the iPhone 7 Plus is *five times more expensive*
than Android phones of better hardware functionality in many respects.
https://groups.google.com/d/msg/misc.phone.mobile.iphone/HDI8moW_4Pw/fFqp2LudAQAJ

Meanwhile, since Apple can't possibly tout *functionality* over Android,
nor can Apple ever beat Android on price-to-performance, what Apple
M-A-R-K-E-T-I-N-G is most likely to do is tout meaningless trifles such as
*colors*, as the main reasons for purchasing iPhones.

Just you wait and see.
Proof coming September 12th that Apple MARKETING knows their loyal Apple consumer is a moron!
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/misc.phone.mobile.iphone/CU0V3mhQX90%5B1-25%5D

If Apple touts colors tomorrow as a top-five value of the new iPhones, that
will be proof that Apple MARKETING (admittedly, the best in the world),
considers their loyal customers to be utter morons.

HINT:
*People line up tomorrow at the 1st chance to *ditch* their current iPhones!*

On 12 Sep 2018 03:27:40 GMT, Arlen Holder wrote:

Since tomorrow there will be a huge line of Apple owners waiting up all
night just for the chance to *ditch* their phones as soon as they possibly
can, it just goes to show that, always, despite the imaginary belief system
of the Apple Apologists, the overall cost of ownership of iPhones is
astronomically high for lousy performance.
Comparative Resale Values of Flagship Phones, Including Variations Among Carriers
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/misc.phone.mobile.iphone/VWcr8qj2bh8%5B1-25%5D

Predictably, Apple marketing gave the gullible customers a number line!
Apple number line (L, XL, and GXL) at $975, $1,450, & $1,565 prices!
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/misc.phone.mobile.iphone/DyoQwwKsl3U

Classic Freshman Marketing 101 number line of X, XL, & GXL.
* L, XL, & GXL ($975 $1,450 $1,565)

Only Apple changed the traditional designation of X, XL, & GXL to
XR ~$975
XS ~$1,450
XS Max $1,565
(Actual taxed price depends on which California county you live in.)

I only speak fact.
Facts bother Apple Apologists.
That's because their belief system leaves no place for actual facts.

HINT: In thousands of posts, the Apologists can still never find a wrong
fact (where all they can do is play their silly semantic games like Joe
does).

TECHNICAL UPDATE:
o Do people of reasonable technical ability store their private data on the Internet (if so, for what gain?)
https://groups.google.com/d/msg/misc.phone.mobile.iphone/E0TkTd-zLuk/fF1RRv51AwAJ

On Mon, 30 Dec 2019 17:15:49 +0100, Cohen wrote:

Private data stored on the Internet? Of course! Backblaze and Restic
(client side encryption before uploading the data). Encrypting the data
yourself before uploading is wise.

Thank you Cohen, not only for ignoring nospam's purposefully unhelpful and
always childish remarks, but for your purposefully helpful adult on-topic
technical suggestion of considering "Restic & Backblaze" for backup/storage
where I agree with you that backing up personal data to the cloud and
storing private data on the cloud should be done with careful thought
(e.g., multiple levels of encryption).

In the past, for data that must be stored in a cloud account, I've posted
TrueCrypt/Veracrypt advice for storing data inside of (multiply) encrypted
file containers (e.g., *.tc or *.vc files); and for data that doesn't need
to be on the net, I've posted advice for syncing your passwords over your
local LAN using Keepass (kdbx) databases, and syncing calendars over your
local LAN using ics files - all without _ever_ needing an "account" of any
sort (which all my solutions require to be general purpose solutions).

And I've posted advice for syncing contacts vcard (*.vcf) files across your
local lan, where I consider it rude to store other people's contact
information on the cloud.
o What are some key common databases you often SHARE between your desktop & mobile devices?
https://groups.google.com/d/msg/misc.phone.mobile.iphone/ovnHGVriYsI/0frYPkC3AQAJ

As most here are aware, I advise general purpose solutions which are always
free, where of the five common consumer platforms, only iOS lacks freeware
for privacy-based standard platform-independent solutions.

For example, every platform other than iOS has freeware for standard *.tc
portable encrypted file containers, where, for example, you can store
private data (e.g., tax records, family photos, identification documents,
etc.) in singly or doubly encrypted file containers which work just fine on
any of the five common consumer platforms.
o Best [iOS] freeware for portable encrypted file containers
https://groups.google.com/d/msg/misc.phone.mobile.iphone/8GGgFKaW-70/WCXEXfVYBAAJ
o Best [Android] freeware for portable encrypted file containers
https://groups.google.com/d/msg/comp.mobile.android/cas1QJ_j2uI/4Uut0HGrBgAJ

Likewise, every platform other than iOS has freeware for local calendar ics
file import (as far as anyone has posted to the Apple newsgroups anyway),
so that you don't need to put your private calendar on the Internet.
o Does a free offline non-Internet calendar app exist for iOS that imports/exports ICS text files?
https://groups.google.com/d/msg/misc.phone.mobile.iphone/OzUOmgJLmZs/Xzx9DMxnFAAJ
o Has anyone here ever set up a CalDAV server on Windows for use with Android CalDAV clients?
https://groups.google.com/d/msg/comp.mobile.android/52iSsFUQinE/AflgVrHVEAAJ

Luckily, all five common consumer platforms have freeware to store
passwords in the standard mutually compatible encrypted kdbx format:
o Which free iOS KeePass kdbx-compatible password database manager do you recommend?
https://groups.google.com/d/msg/misc.phone.mobile.iphone/4bMe2LnPvPA/5h0THhXzDAAJ

We're even beginning to document the Android/iOS free encryption keyboards!
o If not the default, what free Android keyboard are you using & why do you like it?
https://groups.google.com/d/msg/comp.mobile.android/CmZAI0OsXDs/fy-hAKwrBgAJ

Having documented those privacy-based portable general-purpose freeware
solutions for all five common consumer platforms, I readily admit I was
unaware of Backblaze & Restic, so I appreciate this helpful additional
technical advice which hasn't come up in my queries in the past.

Hence, I thank you on my behalf and for the others on this public potluck
who benefit from the adult technical conversation - for *adding value* to
the technical conversation with your purposefully helpful suggestions.

Upon initial inspection, Backblaze appears to be a payware cloud solution
for something like $6 USD per month, so I won't delve deeper (unless that
first-pass skim assessment is incorrect):
o Backblaze Personal Backup (payware)
https://www.backblaze.com/cloud-backup.html

However, Restic appears to be a more general solution in that it's free.

o Restic freeware
https://restic.net/
"restic is a program that does backups right"
"restic is a backup program that is fast, efficient and secure.
It supports the three major operating systems (Linux, macOS, Windows)
and a few smaller ones (FreeBSD, OpenBSD)."
o Restic documentation
https://restic.readthedocs.io/en/latest/
o Restic source & binaries:
https://github.com/restic/restic/releases/tag/v0.9.6

*Restic appears to be a keeper as a general purpose backup solution!*
o The resulting files can basically be stored anywhere you like
(including on the Google Cloud, according to the documentation)
--
Usenet is a wonderful public potluck where adults share topics of value.

In response to what Arlen Holder wrote :

I'm contemplating setting up a mechanism to pass a ~1GB portable encrypted
container file among Android, Linux, Windows, & iOS devices using
open-source freeware, if possible.

UPDATE

I've been using EDS Lite on Android for a while, but I feel the use model
is unnecessarily complex, where it seems oddly dependent on the steps you
use to open the file (i.e., it's not consistent nor intuitive to me).

Nonetheless, it works; but I simply ask for a _better_ (more usable) free
general purpose encryption software on Android that reads/writes
truecrypt/veracrypt containers.

The Windows & Linux solutions work great; dunno about the iOS versions as
they're not freeware, nor the MacOS where my only use of the Mac is in
school environments where encryption isn't needed in my use model.
--
A potential expense of freeware is in the effort to find the best ones.

In response to what Malaki Soloman wrote :

Thank you for your very helpful response, Arlen. I've decided to unencrypt
my HD and use encrypted files instead which mount as separate volumes.
They're smaller, obviously, and can be copied to numerous external memory
drives and kept hidden.

Hi Malaki Soloman,

Always with the caveat others know more than I do on encryption, I find
encrypted file containers rather useful, since they copy nicely to all the
common consumer platforms (only on iOS is there not a freeware app that
reads the containers).

On Windows, what you can do, with Veracrypt (or Truecrypt) is set up to
mount a single volume of your choice:
o TARGET = VeraCrypt.exe /volume Z.hc /letter Z /auto /quit /explore /beep

Perhaps using the hints on setting up shortcut icons over here recently:
o *Shutdown or Restart Windows without bickering*
https://groups.google.com/d/msg/microsoft.public.windowsxp.general/Ou___EcjwKo/7XMKgWp7BQAJ

Which, to allow search in the future, as all my tutorials are expected to
be, should rightly have had its own thread, but I didn't do add it
separately.

BTW, unbeknownst to me until recently, a TARGET holds multiple commands if
you know the simple secrets of using "comspec" & the "ampersand" as shown:
o TARGET = %comspec% /c VeraCrypt.exe /volume M.hc /letter M /auto /quit /explore & VeraCrypt.exe /volume N.hc /letter N /auto /quit /explore

Where a quick instant-dismount of all shortcut is easily accomplished with:
o TARGET = VeraCrypt.exe /dismount /force

You can copy the encrypted file container over the LAN to all devices:
o *Tutorial: How to connect Android to Windows as a drive letter over a Wi-Fi LAN for free simple reliable bidirectional copy*
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/microsoft.public.windowsxp.general/cipdkepVOAg

While on iOS there isn't any freeware that reads/writes these encrypted
file containers, on Android there's this kind of sucky program I use:
*Android*
o EDS Lite http://sovworks.com/eds/
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sovworks.eds.android
*iOS*
o Disk Decipher: http://disk-decipher.hekkihek.nl/
o Crypto Disks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/crypto-disks-store-private/id889549308

All of which were described in this thread along with other possibilities:
o *Best freeware for portable encrypted file containers*
https://groups.google.com/d/msg/comp.mobile.android/cas1QJ_j2uI/4Uut0HGrBgAJ

If anyone knows of a better method to create, manage, & copy encrypted file
containers between all common consumer platforms, I'm all ears.
--
Every thread on Usenet should increase our overall group tribal knowledge.

UPDATE:

Dateline today, all verbatim, see cite for details...

o Files by Google
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.nbu.files

"In many places around the world, sharing a personal device with
spouses, siblings or children is often a cultural expectation,
*especially for women*. Sharing a device can be beneficial,
but it comes with the risk that others might access your
personal files."

"To keep personal content more safe, we're launching Safe Folder,
a new feature in Files by Google.

o Making privacy personal with Files by Google
https://blog.google/around-the-globe/google-asia/making-privacy-personal-files-google/

"Safe Folder is a secure, 4-digit PIN-encrypted folder that protects your
important documents, images, videos and audio files from being opened or
accessed by others. The folder is securely locked as soon as you switch
away from the Files app, so none of its contents can be accessed when
the app is in the background."

o Safe Folder
https://support.google.com/files/answer/9935264?hl=en&ref_topic=7513702#
"This feature is available for Android 8.0 and above."

o Files by Google
https://files.google.com/

See also:
o Best [iOS] freeware for portable encrypted file containers
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/misc.phone.mobile.iphone/8GGgFKaW-70

o Best [Android] freeware for portable encrypted file containers
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/comp.mobile.android/cas1QJ_j2uI/-C1Q1TAyAAAJ
--
Note: You ask the EXACT same question of Android & iOS users (word for
word), and since the iOS users _hate_ that iOS lacks basic functionality,
they incessantly fabricate the functionality, claiming imaginary iOS
functionality exists.