request: encryption support on file open/save

[Robert Graham Merkel]

dasinck@quepasa.com writes:
 > Would it be difficult to wire in hooks so that file open/saving (optionally) goes through gpg decoding/encoding?
 > 
 > I'd just as soon not leave my financial data laying around unprotected, for some reason.
 > 
 > Support for either symetric passphrases or full passphrases would be cool.
 > 
 > I can do this by hand, but it seems so clumsy that way (comparatively), and I can't believe that others leave their data floating around in the bare.
 > 
 > Gnucash rocks, but you knew that.

Sure, we could probably do this, but it'll have to wait until the new
file format makes it into CVS.  In fact, it's simple enough that you
could probably do it yourself, if you can write a little scheme or C.

Personally, I wouldn't use it, because, for me, the downside of
forgetting the passphrase and losing access to my data is considerably
higher than the downside if the Tax Department/my girlfriend/the Men
In Black get unauthorised access to my data.  

If you really need this level of protection, wouldn't you be better
off encrypting your whole filesystem?

In summary, yes, it's doable, yes, we can add it and will probably do
so sooner or later (if you want it sooner, adding it yourself is a
good option), but I'm not convinced it's as useful as you think.

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Robert Merkel	                           rgmerk@mira.net

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