How to Encrypt Files with gocryptfs on Linux

If you’re storing sensitive files on your Linux system, encrypting them is a smart move. gocryptfs makes it simple. It’s a lightweight, high-performance, open-source tool that lets you encrypt individual files and directories using modern cryptography. This guide walks you through installing and using gocryptfs to protect your data.

What is gocryptfs?

gocryptfs is an encrypted overlay filesystem. It lets you work with your files normally in a “decrypted” view, while the actual data remains encrypted on disk. It’s fast, secure, and perfect for encrypting folders on local drives, external drives, or cloud-synced directories (like Dropbox).

Step 1: Install gocryptfs

On most Linux distributions, you can install gocryptfs via the package manager.

Debian/Ubuntu:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install gocryptfs

Arch Linux:

sudo pacman -S gocryptfs

Fedora:

sudo dnf install gocryptfs

Or, build from source: https://github.com/rfjakob/gocryptfs

Step 2: Set Up an Encrypted Directory

Create a directory where encrypted files will be stored, and a mount point for decrypted access:

mkdir ~/encrypted
mkdir ~/decrypted

Initialize the encrypted folder:

gocryptfs -init ~/encrypted

You’ll be prompted to set a password. Don’t forget it—there’s no recovery.

Step 3: Mount the Encrypted Filesystem

Now mount the encrypted folder to the decrypted view:

gocryptfs ~/encrypted ~/decrypted

After entering your password, the ~/decrypted folder will show the contents in plain text. You can now read, write, and modify files as normal—but they’re encrypted at rest.

Step 4: Using and Unmounting

Work in the ~/decrypted folder as you would in any normal directory.

To unmount:

fusermount -u ~/decrypted

The decrypted view disappears, but your encrypted data stays safely in ~/encrypted.

Optional: Automate Mounting

To avoid typing the password every time, use gocryptfs -passwd to change it and enable a password cache, or set up auto-mounting via systemd or a script (not recommended on shared machines).

Final Thoughts

gocryptfs is one of the easiest ways to encrypt files on Linux without compromising usability. It’s reliable, fast, and integrates well into a typical workflow. If you value your privacy, it’s worth adding to your toolkit.

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