Update project status in README (#671)

Updates the project status.
This commit is contained in:
Valient Gough 2024-05-26 10:57:12 -07:00 committed by GitHub
parent c444f9b917
commit aa106e6edd
No known key found for this signature in database
GPG Key ID: B5690EEEBB952194

View File

@ -1,19 +1,18 @@
# EncFS - an Encrypted Filesystem # EncFS - an Encrypted Filesystem
_Build Status_ **This project is NOT maintained. For details, see the [Status](#status) section.**
- Travis: [![Travis CI](https://travis-ci.org/vgough/encfs.svg?branch=master)](https://travis-ci.org/vgough/encfs)
- Cirrus: [![Cirrus CI](https://api.cirrus-ci.com/github/vgough/encfs.svg?branch=master)](https://cirrus-ci.com/github/vgough/encfs)
## About ## About
EncFS provides an encrypted filesystem in user-space. It runs in userspace, EncFS provides an encrypted filesystem in user-space. It runs in userspace,
using the FUSE library for the filesystem interface. EncFS is open source using the [FUSE library](https://github.com/libfuse/libfuse) for the filesystem interface. EncFS is open source
software, licensed under the LGPL. software, licensed under the LGPL.
EncFS is now over 15 years old (first release in 2003). It was written because EncFS was first released in 2003, making it one of the earlier FUSE filesystems!
older NFS and kernel-based encrypted filesystems such as CFS had not kept pace with Linux I wrote it because I needed to encrypt my data while traveling, and the existing NFS and
kernel-based encrypted filesystems such as CFS had not kept pace with Linux
development. When FUSE became available, I wrote a CFS replacement for my own development. When FUSE became available, I wrote a CFS replacement for my own
use and released the first version to Open Source in 2003. use and later released it to Open Source when it seemed stable.
EncFS encrypts individual files, by translating all requests for the virtual EncFS encrypts individual files, by translating all requests for the virtual
EncFS filesystem into the equivalent encrypted operations on the raw EncFS filesystem into the equivalent encrypted operations on the raw
@ -21,23 +20,35 @@ filesystem.
For more info, see: For more info, see:
- The excellent [encfs manpage](encfs/encfs.pod) - The [encfs manpage](encfs/encfs.pod)
- The technical overview in [DESIGN.md](DESIGN.md) - The technical overview in [DESIGN.md](DESIGN.md)
## Status ## Status
Over the last 15 years, a number of good alternatives have grown up. Computing In the time since EncFS was written, a lot has changed in the security,
power has increased to the point where it is reasonable to encrypt the entire privacy, and computing landscapes. Computing power has increased enormously over
filesystem of personal computers (and even mobile phones!). On Linux, ecryptfs what a circa-2003 laptop can provide, and so it is no longer a performance burden
provides a nice dynamically mountable encrypted home directory, and is well to encrypt the entire filesystem of a personal device. Software encryption has also
integrated in distributions I use, such as Ubuntu. spread widely - data encryption is built into most systems and programs, so there is
far less of a need to have a separate encryption system.
EncFS has been dormant for a while. I've started cleaning up in order to try EncFS has been dormant for a long time now. I haven't used or worked on EncFS in
and provide a better base for a version 2, but whether EncFS flowers again many years. I've left the repository here because I don't want to prevent anyone
depends upon community interest. In order to make it easier for anyone to from using it if they have a need that can't be met otherwise. I'm sure that I have
contribute, it is moving a new home on GitHub (2014). Since then project has some very old backups that would still require EncFS to access, so I expect that I
been updated a few times thanks to several contributors, so if you're might have to compile it again someday.
interested in EncFS, please dive in!
Don't expect any updates on this project. You're free to fork it, of course, but
remember that this is a 20+yr old codebase which was only funded by personal
interest, so I wouldn't expect it to live up to modern-day coding standards.
If you're considering setting up a new encrypted filesystem wrapper, I'd recommend
looking into newer alternatives, such as the excellent [GoCryptFS](https://github.com/rfjakob/gocryptfs).
Thank you all for the early support, especially the FUSE author Miklos Szeredi,
and all the interesting discussions at Open Source and Linux meetups over the years.
Valient Gough
May 2024
## Unique Features ## Unique Features
@ -76,10 +87,6 @@ work, some of which may be back-ported to the master branch when it is stable. T
dev branch is not stable, and there is no guarantee of backward compatibility dev branch is not stable, and there is no guarantee of backward compatibility
between changes. between changes.
## Donations
How about a nice email instead?
## Windows ## Windows
EncFS works on Cygwin, there are also some Windows ports. EncFS works on Cygwin, there are also some Windows ports.