ScramDisk for Linux: Truly Open Source On-The-Fly-Encryption Software

Many people believe TrueCrypt is open-source but actually is not because even though the source code is available, it's development is kept secret and it isn't considered Free Software by the FSF nor Open Source by the OSI. A truly open source application for encrypting your partitions is DiskCryptor, but this app only works on Windows.

So if you want an open source application for Linux which works great, you should try ScramDisk.

ScramDisk for Linux (SD4L) is a great OTFE alternative that also supports TrueCrypt containers. Official description:

SD4L is a suite of Linux tools and a graphical user interface (GUI) which allow the creation of, and access to ScramDisk encrypted container files. In particular, SD4L provides a Linux driver which enables mounting ScramDisk containers. ScramDisk for Linux also encrypts partitions on a hard disk or storage media such as USB sticks or floppy disks entirely as devices. Version 2.0, moreover, opens and creates TrueCrypt containers from TrueCrypt version 4.1 to 6.2.

ScramDisk for Linux features:

1. Access to ScramDisk containers generated on other platforms — either by another SD4L installation, or by the original Windows ScramDisk v3.01r3c version.
2. Creation of compatible ScramDisk containers.
3. Access to TrueCrypt containers generated on other platforms — either by another SD4L installation, or by the TrueCrypt software versions 4.1 to 6.2 on Windows, MacOS or Linux.
4. Creation of compatible TrueCrypt containers which can be opened by the TrueCrypt versions which are equal or higher than the chosen format version.
5. On Linux, SD4L would provide privacy for sensitive data through the use of strong encryption, which are transparently accessible via a mounted container.
6. SD4L includes a repair tool for damaged ScramDisk and TrueCrypt 6 containers. It is accessable by the Change button in the GUI or by sdchange.
7. ScramDisk containers can be reformatted to TrueCrypt containers without creating a new container and copying its contents. The created formats are that of TrueCrypt 4 or 5.
8. Containers can be automatically unmounted after they have been inactive for a period of time given on mounting the container. Here, inactivity means that no read or write operation has taken place on the container within this period of time.
9. Encrypted hard disks or containers which comprise several partitions can be opened and the partitions will be automatically mounted on mount directories created below a chosen directory.
10. A new container can be formatted as swap space and such a container can be used for swapping out areas of the main memory.

Download ScramDisk for Linux (SD4L) (Ubuntu .deb, Fedora .rpm and source files available).