[freudling]

I have been searching everywhere, trying crappy little shareware apps, none of which really do what I want, which is to be able to password protect files and folders, and then send them off to other people.

Typically they would be ZIP files. I want to have the ability to encrypt the files, and the user on the other end can then enter the password I set and decrypt the file. Has to be Windows compatible, so using Disk Utility and encrypting a DMG is not an option.

Oh, also, out of all the apps I tried, ALL of them required that the other person receiving the file have the same application to unlock the file. That is, all they did was take my ZIP file and create a stupid proprietary ZIP file (encrypted). So that is not an option either.

Maybe Stuffit Pro 11.0?

[Cold Warrior]

What about PGP? It says it has the ability to create self-extracting encrypted zip files for people who don't have PGP Desktop ... PGP Corporation - Products - PGP Desktop Home -PGP Universal Server, PGP Whole Disk Encryption, PGP Desktop, PGP Command Line, Enterprise Data Protection - PGP Corporation Products

[WJMoore]

Command line zip does exactly what you want, use the -e option:

-e Encrypt the contents of the zip archive using a password which
is entered on the terminal in response to a prompt (this will
not be echoed; if standard error is not a tty, zip will exit
with an error). The password prompt is repeated to save the
user from typing errors.

[besson3c]

If the -e option in zipping files will not work in Windows, I second the PGP recommendation, but the open source gnupg works just fine... I don't think the commercial PGP would be necessary.

[freudling]

Thanks guys, but one question. What if the person on the other end does not use Terminal. Will it just prompt them to type in a password within their respective OS?

Thanks again.

[freudling]

Oh, can someone tell me exactly how to encrypt from the terminal? Not sure how to use it very well. Thx.

[freudling]

Found probably the best solution going. I am using Stuffit Deluxe 11.1. The DropStuff icon is in the dock and it is set to encrypt with a passphrase automatically. I just drag a file to it, enter my passphrase and that is that. Should work on other machines. This is a great solution if it does. PGP is too clunky and the other open source stuff too complicated.

[WJMoore]

I know you got a solution with Stuffit but to answer your questions:

Originally Posted by freudling 

Thanks guys, but one question. What if the person on the other end does not use Terminal. Will it just prompt them to type in a password within their respective OS?

Thanks again.

Doesn't matter, whatever the person on the other end uses to extract ZIP files will prompt them for the password.

Originally Posted by freudling 

Oh, can someone tell me exactly how to encrypt from the terminal? Not sure how to use it very well. Thx.

Quick and dirty info, for more details see the man page (man zip):

code:

zip -e the_zip_file.zip file1.txt file2.xls files.*

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by freudling 

Found probably the best solution going. I am using Stuffit Deluxe 11.1. The DropStuff icon is in the dock and it is set to encrypt with a passphrase automatically. I just drag a file to it, enter my passphrase and that is that. Should work on other machines. This is a great solution if it does. PGP is too clunky and the other open source stuff too complicated.

Won't this require the person to download Stuffit Expander?

I agree that file zipping is the best solution, but just FYI, Gnupg is an open source PGP - not a separate solution.

[freudling]

I can encrypt .zip files with stuffit, so no, I don't think the person on the other end needs stuffit.