Tomb/doc/web/views/index.muse
Jaromil eac4818f30 manpage, documentation and fixes for the new release
includes also timeout to ask_usbkey, correct naming of tomb
reference documentation for encryption settings, webpage updates and artworks
2011-01-28 12:26:35 +01:00

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6.4 KiB
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#title Tomb - The Crypto Undertaker
#author Jaromil
<contents>
* Tomb - Crypto Undertaker
<class name="logo">
[[images/tomb_n_bats.png]]
</class>
<example>
..... ..
.H8888888h. ~-. . uW8"
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.0.9
(from the hashes of dyne:bolic nesting)
</example>
Tomb aims to be an 100% free and open source system for easy
encryption and backup of personal files, written in code that is easy
to review and links commonly shared components.
Tomb generates encrypted storage files to be opened and closed using
their associated keyfiles, which are also protected with a password
chosen by the user.
A tomb is like a locked folder that can be safely transported and
hidden in a filesystem; its keys can be kept separate, for instance
keeping the tomb file on your computer harddisk and the key files on a
USB stick.
** Documentation
*** 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.
*** Aren't there enough encryption tools already?
We've felt the urgency of publishing Tomb for other operating systems
than dyne:bolic since the current situation with [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TrueCrypt][TrueCrypt]] is far from
optimal. TrueCrypt makes use of statically linked libraries, its code
is not hosted on CVS and is [[http://lists.freedesktop.org/archives/distributions/2008-October/000276.html][not considered free]] by GNU/Linux
distributions because of liability reasons, see [[http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=364034][Debian]], [[https://bugs.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/109701][Ubuntu]],
[[http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-buildservice/2008-10/msg00055.html][Suse]], [[http://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=241650][Gentoo]] and [[https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/ForbiddenItems#TrueCrypt][Fedora]].
Seen from this perspective, Tomb is intended as a rewrite of most
functionality 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
*** How does it works
Tombs are operated from a normal file browser or from the commandline.
To open a tomb is sufficient to click on it, or use the command **tomb-open**
[[images/monmort.png]]
When a tomb is open your panel will have a little icon in the tray
reminding you that a tomb is open, offering to explore it or close it.
See the [[manual][manpage]] for more information on how to operate Tomb from the
commandline, also the back-end tool **tomb** comes complete with a brief
--help.
** Downloads
For licensing information see the [[http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html][GNU General Public License]]
Below a list of formats you can download this application: ready to be
run with some of the interfaces developed, as a library you can use to
build your own application and as source code you can study.
*** Code repository
Latest stable release is 0.9 (28 January 2011) more about it in the
[[ftp://ftp.dyne.org/tomb/NEWS][NEWS]] and [[ftp://ftp.dyne.org/tomb/ChangeLog][ChangeLog]]
Source releases are checked and signed by [[http://jaromil.dyne.org][Jaromil]] using [[http://www.gnupg.org][GnuPG]].
On [[ftp://ftp.dyne.org/tomb][ftp.dyne.org/tomb]] you find all present and past Tomb releases,
source code for extra plugins and more binaries that we occasionally
build for various architectures.
The bleeding edge version is developed on our [[http://code.dyne.org][code repository]] using
**GIT**, you can clone the repository free and anonymously
<example>
git clone git://code.dyne.org/tomb.git
</example>
** Development
*** Stage of development
Tomb is an evolution of the 'mknest' tool developed for the [[http://dynebolic.org][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 Debian based operating
systems.
At present time Tomb is easy to install and use, it mainly consists of
a Shell script and some auxiliary C code for desktop integration
(GTK), making use of GNU tools and the cryptographic API of the Linux
kernel.
*** People involved
Tomb is designed and written by [[http://jaromil.dyne.org][Jaromil]]
Tomb's artwork is contributed by [[http://monmort.blogspot.org][Món Mort]]
Testing and fixes are contributed by Dreamer and Hellekin O. Wolf.
Tomb relies on Cryptsetup(8) and LUKS, big up to the developers involved \o/
*** 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.
Have a look in the TODO file to see what our plans are.
At the moment we can use some good help in porting this tool on
M$/Windows and Apple/OSX, still keeping the minimal approach we all
love.
Please report bugs on the tracker at http://bugs.dyne.org
Get in touch with developers via mail using this web page
http://dyne.org/contact or via chat on http://irc.dyne.org