diff --git a/README.md b/README.md index acb5a4f..45273eb 100644 --- a/README.md +++ b/README.md @@ -7,7 +7,7 @@

Picocrypt

-Picocrypt is a very small (hence Pico), very simple, yet very secure encryption tool that you can use to protect your files. It's designed to be the go-to tool for encryption, with a focus on security, simplicity, and reliability. Picocrypt uses the secure XChaCha20 cipher and the Argon2id key derivation function to provide a high level of security, even from three-letter agencies like the NSA. Your privacy and security is under attack. Take it back with confidence by protecting your files with Picocrypt. +Picocrypt is a very small (hence Pico), very simple, yet very secure encryption tool that you can use to protect your files. It's designed to be the go-to tool for file encryption, with a focus on security, simplicity, and reliability. Picocrypt uses the secure XChaCha20 cipher and the Argon2id key derivation function to provide a high level of security.

Picocrypt

@@ -16,54 +16,36 @@ Picocrypt is a very small (hence Pico), very simple, yet very secure encr ℹī¸ **You are highly recommended to read through the [Features](https://github.com/Picocrypt/Picocrypt?tab=readme-ov-file#features) section below to fully understand the features and limitations of Picocrypt before using it.** ℹī¸ -Make sure to only download Picocrypt from this repository to ensure that you get the authentic and backdoor-free Picocrypt. When sharing Picocrypt with others, be sure to link to this repository to prevent any confusion. - -Beware of picocrypt.org ([archive.org snapshot](https://web.archive.org/web/20240816235513/http://picocrypt.org/)), which claims to be the official website for this project! Remember, there is no official website for Picocrypt. Even if this self-proclaimed website is taken down, I will not remove this message; let it be a real-world warning to stay vigilant. +Make sure to only download Picocrypt from this repository to ensure that you get the authentic and backdoor-free Picocrypt. When sharing Picocrypt with others, be sure to link to this repository to prevent any confusion. Besides this repository, there is no official website/webpage or mobile apps for Picocrypt. For example, beware of picocrypt.org ([archive.org snapshot](https://web.archive.org/web/20240816235513/http://picocrypt.org/)), which claimed to be the official website for this project. ## Windows -Picocrypt for Windows is as simple as it gets. To download the latest, standalone, and portable executable for Windows, click here. If Microsoft Defender or your antivirus flags Picocrypt as a virus, please do your part and submit it as a false positive for the betterment of everyone. +To download the latest, standalone, and portable executable for Windows, click here. + +If your antivirus flags Picocrypt as a virus, please submit it as a false positive to help everyone. If Picocrypt won't start, you may be missing OpenGL support. See here for a solution. ## macOS -Picocrypt for macOS is very simple as well. Download Picocrypt here, open the container, and drag Picocrypt to your Applications. You may need to manually trust the app from a terminal and control-click on the app if macOS prevents you from opening it: +Download Picocrypt here, open the container, and drag Picocrypt to your Applications. You will need to manually trust the app from a terminal if macOS prevents you from opening it: ``` xattr -d com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Picocrypt.app ``` -Or, if you use Homebrew, you can add a tap and install Picocrypt: -``` -brew tap Picocrypt/picocrypt -brew install picocrypt --no-quarantine -``` - Note: the macOS app is built for Apple silicon only. If you're still on Intel, you can build from source. +**Warning: Picocrypt will cease to work on macOS in the future** because Apple doesn't care about backwards compatibility. Once OpenGL is removed and/or GLFW compatibility is broken, Picocrypt will no longer work and it will be very difficult to fix. If you're a macOS user, you're probably better off using the CLI or Web version instead. Maybe also consider using an OS that actually somewhat cares about its developers and users... + ## Linux -To use Picocrypt on Linux, you can download the raw binary here (you may need to install the packages below). Alternatively, you can try the .deb, Flatpak, run Picocrypt through Wine, or compile from source using the instructions in the `src/` directory. +Download the raw binary here (you may need the packages below). Alternatively, try the .deb or Flatpak. ``` sudo apt install -y libc6 libgcc-s1 libgl1 libgtk-3-0 libstdc++6 libx11-6 ``` ## CLI -A command-line interface is available for Picocrypt here. It can encrypt and decrypt files, folders, and globs, and supports paranoid mode and Reed-Solomon encoding. You can use it on systems that don't have a GUI or can't run the GUI app, or to write automated shell scripts for backups, etc. +A command-line interface is available for Picocrypt here. It can encrypt and decrypt files, folders, and glob patterns, and supports paranoid mode and Reed-Solomon encoding. You can use it on systems that don't have a GUI or can't run the GUI app. ## Web -A functionally limited web app is available here which allows you to encrypt and decrypt standard Picocrypt volumes (no advanced features or keyfiles) on any modern browser, including mobile devices. It's a simple, future-proof way to encrypt files that should work indefinitely due to the web's stable nature. Note that you can only encrypt single files up to a maximum size of 1 GiB. - -## Mobile 🚧 -An experimental project PicoGo is a community-developed port of Picocrypt to platforms like Android and iOS using the Fyne GUI library. Feel free to try it out, but keep in mind that it is *not* part of the official core Picocrypt project (like the platforms listed above) and thus not subject to the same scrutiny and standards that the core project is. So, **use it with caution and diligence** during its experimental phase. - -# Why Picocrypt? -Why should you use Picocrypt instead of VeraCrypt, 7-Zip, BitLocker, or Cryptomator? Here are a few reasons why you should choose Picocrypt: - +A functionally limited web app is available here which allows you to encrypt and decrypt standard Picocrypt volumes (no advanced features or keyfiles) on any modern browser, including mobile devices. It's a simple, future-proof way to securely encrypt files that should work indefinitely due to the web's stable nature. Note that you can only encrypt/decrypt single files up to a maximum size of 512 MiB. # Comparison Here's how Picocrypt compares to other popular encryption tools. @@ -86,12 +68,12 @@ Here's how Picocrypt compares to other popular encryption tools. | Telemetry |✅ None |✅ None |✅ None |❓ Unknown |✅ None | | Audited |✅ [Yes](https://github.com/Picocrypt/storage/blob/main/Picocrypt.Audit.Report.pdf) |✅ Yes |❌ No |❓ Unknown |✅ Yes | -Keep in mind that while Picocrypt does most things better than other tools, it's not a one-size-fits-all and doesn't try to be. There are use cases such as full-disk encryption where VeraCrypt and BitLocker would be a better choice. So while Picocrypt is a great choice for the majority of people, you should still do your own research and use what's best for you. +Keep in mind that while Picocrypt does most things better than other tools, it's not a one-size-fits-all and doesn't try to be. There are use cases such as full-disk encryption where VeraCrypt and BitLocker would be a better (and the only) choice. So while Picocrypt is a great choice for the majority of people doing file encryption, you should still do your own research and use what's best for you. # Features -Picocrypt is a very simple tool, and most users will intuitively understand how to use it in a few seconds. On a basic level, simply dropping your files, entering a password, and hitting Encrypt is all that's needed to encrypt your files. Dropping the output back into Picocrypt, entering the password, and hitting Decrypt is all that's needed to decrypt those files. Pretty simple, right? For most users, this will be enough and the features below are not necessary. +Picocrypt is a very simple tool and most users will intuitively understand how to use it in a few seconds. On a basic level, simply dropping your files, entering a password, and hitting Encrypt is all that's needed to encrypt your files. Dropping the output back into Picocrypt, entering the password, and hitting Decrypt is all that's needed to decrypt those files. Pretty simple, right? -But while being simple, Picocrypt also strives to be powerful in the hands of knowledgeable and advanced users. Thus, there are some additional options that you may use to suit your needs. Read through their descriptions carefully as some of them can be complex to use correctly. +While being simple, Picocrypt also strives to be powerful in the hands of knowledgeable and advanced users. Thus, there are some additional options that you may use to suit your needs. Read through their descriptions carefully as some of them can be complex to use correctly.