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 888888888888x  `>        u.      ..    .     :    `t888
X~     `?888888hx~  ...ue888b   .888: x888  x888.   8888   .
'      x8.^"*88*"   888R Y888r ~`8888~'888X`?888f`  9888.z88N
 `-:- X8888x        888R I888>   X888  888X '888>   9888  888E
      488888>       888R I888>   X888  888X '888>   9888  888E
    .. `"88*        888R I888>   X888  888X '888>   9888  888E
  x88888nX"      . u8888cJ888    X888  888X '888>   9888  888E
 !"*8888888n..  :   "*888*P"    "*88%""*88" '888!` .8888  888"
'    "*88888888*      'Y"         `~    "    `"`    `%888*%"
        ^"***"`                                        "`

  a simple commandline tool to manage encrypted storage  v.0.8
            http://crypto.dyne.org                  by Jaromil

Tomb aims to be a free and open source system for easy encryption and
backup of personal files, written in code that is easy to review and
links shared OS components.

At present time, Tomb consists of a simple shell script (Zsh) that
uses using standard filesystem tools (GNU) and and the cryptographic
API of the Linux kernel (cryptsetup and LUKS).

In future Tomb will grow to facilitate proper use of encryption by
unexperienced users, probably also prividing a graphical user
interface, as well a porting to Apple/OSX.

** Who needs Tomb

Our target community are desktop users with no time to click around,
sometimes using old or borrowed computers, operating in places
endangered by conflict where a leak of personal data can be a threat.

If you don't own a laptop then it's possible to go around with a USB
stick and borrow computers, still leaving no trace and keeping your
data safe during transports. Tomb aims to facilitate all this and to
be interoperable across popular GNU/Linux operating systems.

** How does it works

Tomb generates 'key files' and protects them with a password choosen
by the user; the key files are then used to encrypt loop-back mounted
partitions, like single files containing a filesystem inside: this way
keys can be separated from data for safer transports when
required.

** Stage of development

Tomb is an evolution of the 'mknest' tool developed for the dyne:bolic
GNU/Linux distribution, which is used by its 'nesting' mechanism to
encrypt the Home directory of users.

As such, it uses well tested and reviewed routines and its shell code
is pretty readable. The name transition from 'mknest' to 'tomb' is
marked by the adaptation of mknest to work on the Debian operating
system, used by its author in the past 3 years.

** How can you help

Code is pretty short and readable: start looking around it and the
materials found in doc/ which are good pointers at security measures
to be further implemented.

Best of all at this stage would be if you like to code a Graphical
Interface, possibly in QT4, that would use the script to make simple
operations: something pretty easy and intuitive, with a few big
buttons, for unexperienced users, can be a good start.

** Aren't there enough encryption tools already?

I've felt the urgency of publishing Tomb for other operating systems
than dyne:bolic since the current situation with TrueCrypt[1] is far
from optimal.  TrueCrypt makes use of statically linked libraries, its
code is not hosted on CVS nor considered free[2] by GNU/Linux
distributions because of liability reasons, see Debian[3], Ubuntu[4],
Suse[5], Gentoo[6] and Fedora[7].

Seen from this perspective, Tomb is intended as a rewrite of most
functionalities offered by TrueCrypt in a new application, confident
it won't take much relying on previous experience and aiming at:
 
 - short and readable code, linking shared libs and common components 
 - easy graphical interface, simple for ad-hoc (DIY-deniable)
 - transparent and distributed development hosted using GIT
 - GNU General Public License v3

[1] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TrueCrypt]
[2] [http://lists.freedesktop.org/archives/distributions/2008-October/000276.html]
[3] [http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=364034]
[4] [https://bugs.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/109701]
[5] [http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-buildservice/2008-10/msg00055.html]
[6] [http://bugs.gentoo.org/show\_bug.cgi?id=241650]
[7] [https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/ForbiddenItems#TrueCrypt]