Password-protect Opening Program

Mindstormscreator · 2015-01-05 20:29:54

Hey Archers,

So for one of my new-years resolutions, I decided to keep a brief, daily diary, and for that I elected to use RedNotebook, a simple journaling program. The problem is, I don't want anybody who happens to use my laptop while I'm logged in to find RedNotebook. I know how some programs will simply not run at all unless provided with credentials (like GParted), and was wondering if I could mimic the same kind of thing with RedJournal. I suppose this might involve running RedJournal as root, but I'd like a graphical way to open it, so that I run a launcher and it prompts me for my password, for example.

Any advice would be great, thanks.

Awebb · 2015-01-05 20:37:49

Instead of hiding the application, you could put the data the application works with in an encrypted container. Everybody could open the software, but nobody could open your files without a password. Look up EncFS and the "Disk encryption" article on the wiki.

dice · 2015-01-05 22:18:19

Alternatively you could change the permissions of the executable so that only you can execute it. Then write a script/launcher/whatever to start it with gksu.
This is does not seem to be an elegant solution to me though...

Last edited by dice (2015-01-05 22:18:56)

Kopkins · 2015-01-06 05:32:06

For this I wrote a simple script to use gpg and open the file in my favorite plaintext editor. Then reencrypt when done, prompting for a password on decryption and a new one on encryption.
Decrypt > open > write > encrypt > remove decrypted copy > done

I can post the script if you want

Last edited by Kopkins (2015-01-06 05:54:43)

Arch Linux

#1 2015-01-05 20:29:54

Password-protect Opening Program

#2 2015-01-05 20:37:49

Re: Password-protect Opening Program

#3 2015-01-05 22:18:19

Re: Password-protect Opening Program

#4 2015-01-06 05:32:06

Re: Password-protect Opening Program

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