Here’s how to encrypt files/folders on Linux using Keybase. Keybase is a file sharing and communication solution with end to end encryption. This is a great and simple solution for people who want to quickly encrypt and share files with their colleagues. On Linux, here’s how to do it.
How to Install Keybase on Linux
Before you can use Keybase to encrypt files and folders, you have to first install it on your Linux Distro. Open a terminal window to start the Keybase installation on Linux.
Also read: 5 Best Linux Distros For Windows 10
Press the key combination
Ctrl+Alt+T on the keyboard to open a terminal window on the Linux desktop. Or, search “Terminal” in the application menu on your Linux system to launch the terminal application.
Installation can be started once the terminal window is open and ready to use. Follow the Keybase installation instructions for the Linux operating system that you are currently using, which are shown below.
How to Install Keybase on Ubuntu
For Keybase to work on Ubuntu, you have to download the Keybase DEB package to your computer and install it. To download, use the following wget command below.
wget https://prerelease.keybase.io/keybase_amd64.deb
After downloading the Keybase DEB package to your computer, use the apt install command below to install the Keybase app on your system.
sudo apt install ./keybase_amd64.deb
How to Install Keybase on Debian
On Debian, if you want to use Keybase, you have to download the latest release of DEB package to your computer. To do so, use the following wget command below in a terminal window.
wget https://prerelease.keybase.io/keybase_amd64.deb
Once the Keybase DEB package has finished downloading to your Debian Linux system, the installation can be started by using the dpkg -i command below.
sudo dpkg -i keybase_amd64.deb
How to Install Keybase on Arch Linux
Keybase works at Arch Linux via Arch Linux AUR. To make it work, you have to first install the Trizen AUR helper. This tool will make installing Keybase easier.
To install Trizen, start by setting up the “git” and “base-devel” packages on your computer using the pacman command.
sudo pacman -S git base-devel
Next, clone the Trizen AUR package using the git clone command and install the package using the makepkg command.
git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/trizen.git
cd trizen/
makepkg -sri
Finally, install the Keybase app on your Arch Linux system with the trizen -S command below.
trizen -S keybase-bin
How to Install Keybase on Fedora
Keybase works on Fedora Linux with the help of official RPM packages. To make it work on your system, download the Keybase RPM package file to your computer.
wget https://prerelease.keybase.io/keybase_amd64.rpm
Install the Keybase RPM package on your computer by using the dnf install command.
sudo dnf install keybase_amd64.rpm
How to Install Keybase in OpenSUSE
Need to get Keybase working on your OpenSUSE Linux system? You have to download the latest release of Keybase for RPM using the wget command below.
wget https://prerelease.keybase.io/keybase_amd64.rpm
With the RPM package downloaded to your computer, Keybase installation can be done with the following zypper install command.
sudo zypper install keybase_amd64.rpm
How to Encrypt Files and Folders Using Keybase
To encrypt files and folders using Keybase, you have to open the app first. Keybase can be launched from the application menu. After the Keybase is open, click the button Create Account to create a new account.
After selecting the create account button, Keybase will ask for a username. Using your keyboard, write the username you want. Then, click the button “Continue“.
After creating a username, you have to give your computer a name. Write the name of your Linux PC and click on the button “Continue” again. After that, enter your phone number and click the “Continue” button to move to the next page.
With Keybase configured, it is time to start encrypting. In the Keybase app, look for the section “File“Inside section.”File“, there are 3 separate folders. These folders are “private” “public,” and “team“.
To encrypt a file or folder, start by selecting a folder. In this example, we will use the “PrivateAfter selecting your private folder, you will see a sub-folder with your username. Select that too.
Inside your username sub-folder, look for the button “Upload” blue and click with the mouse. Then, select the option “Upload directories” or “Upload files“.
Then select the file you want to upload. When you select the upload button, Keybase will automatically encrypt your files.
How to Download Files in Keybase
To download your encrypted file from Keybase, click on the file with the mouse. Once you select the file you want to download, click on the “download” is white to retrieve files. Repeat this process for each file that you want to download to your computer from Keybase.
That’s the tutorial on how to encrypt files/folders on Linux using Keybase. You can also search for other cool tutorials about Linux OS by visiting the category Linux. Goodbye and thank you for visiting.
