How to encrypt a file on Linux with File Lock PEA
File Lock PEA is a java-based encryption tool. It works excellent on Linux, especially if you’re not a fan of tools like VeraCrypt, GnuPG, and others. This guide will show you how to encrypt files on Linux with File Lock PEA.
Installing File Lock PEA on Linux
Before using File Lock PEA on Linux to encrypt your files, you’ll need to install the program. The program runs well on any Linux OS, so long as Java is installed.
To start the installation of File Lock PEA, you’ll need to set up the Java Runtime Environment on your computer. Then, open up a terminal window on the Linux desktop. You can do this by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T on the keyboard. Or, search for “Terminal” in the app menu.
With the terminal window open, follow the installation instructions below that correspond with the Linux OS you use to set up the latest Java Runtime Environment.
Ubuntu
To install OpenJDK 18 on Ubuntu, use the following apt install command.
sudo apt install openjdk-18-jre
Debian
On Debian 11 (Current Stable), you’ll need to install version 17 of OpenJDK. To install it on your system, use the following apt-get install command.
sudo apt-get install openjdk-17-jre
Arch Linux
On Arch Linux, the latest release of OpenJDK in use is version 18. To get this version set up on your computer, use the pacman -S command.
sudo pacman -S jre-openjdk
Fedora
To get version 17 of OpenJDK working on your Fedora Linux system, use the following dnf install command.
sudo dnf install java-17-openjdk
OpenSUSE
OpenJDK 17 can be set up on OpenSUSE LEAP 15.4 and Tumbleweed. To install it on your system, use the following zypper install command.
sudo zypper install java-17-openjdk
After setting up the Java Runtime Environment on your Linux PC, you’ll need to download the latest version of File Lock PEA to your computer. You can download it using the following wget download command.
wget https://eck.cologne/peafactory/src/downloads/filePEA/Dragonfly-Threefish-Blake2b/file-lock-pea-1.5.zip? -O file-lock-pea-1.5.zip
Once the ZIP file is downloaded to your computer, extract it using the unzip command. If you do not have Unzip set up on your computer, install it here.
unzip file-lock-pea-1.5.zip
With the files unzipped, use the cd command and move into the “FileLockPEA-1.5” folder.
cd FileLockPEA-1.5/
Once in the folder, you’ll see a JAR file. This JAR file is the File Lock PEA is an executable and requires the java -jar command to execute on Linux. To start the File Lock PEA JAR file on your computer, run the following command.
java -jar file-lock-pea.jar
Updating File Lock PEA
In this guide, we focus on File Lock PEA 1.5. However, you’ll need to re-download the program if the program is updated. You can get your hands on the latest File Lock PEA at the official website.
How to encrypt a file on Linux with File Lock PEA
To encrypt a file with File Lock PEA, open the app using the java -jar command. Then, follow the step-by-step instructions below.
Step 1: Find the “File” button in the File Lock PEA application and select it with the mouse. Then, select the “initialize new” button. When you choose the button, a pop-up window will appear.
Step 2: In the pop-up window, enter a secure password. This password should be memorable but not easy to guess, as it will be the way you can unlock your encrypted File Lock PEA archive.
Step 3: A pop-up window will appear once you’ve entered your encryption password. Select the file you want to add to the encryption using this pop-up window. If you wish to select multiple files, hold down the Ctrl button as you click on various files in the pop-up window.
Step 4: After selecting the files you wish to encrypt, click on the “open” button. The “Open” button will add the files to your File Lock PEA app.
Step 5: Upon adding your files to File Lock PEA, you’ll see a warning window (only if it is a large file). This warning window says, “This will take some time because of the file size. Do you want to continue?”
Click on the “Go on” button to continue the encryption process.
Step 6: Select the “Menu” button once all files are added. Then, select the “Close and encrypt selected files.” When you choose the encryption option, it will lock up all your files in “file-lock-pea. path”.
To unencrypt your files, find the “Enter password” box in File Lock PEA, and enter it. When you do, all encrypted files will be accessible on your PC.
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