[ecryptfs man page] "ecryptfs_encrypted_view" option desription is wrong

Bug #328761 reported by Plamen K. Kosseff
2
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
eCryptfs
Fix Released
Low
Tyler Hicks

Bug Description

The original kernel patch that introduced this option states

ecryptfs_encrypted_view
 - When set, this option causes eCryptfs to present applications a
   view of encrypted files as if the cryptographic metadata were
   stored in the file header, whether the metadata is actually stored
   in the header or in the extended attributes.

   No matter what eCryptfs winds up doing in the lower filesystem, I want
   to preserve a baseline format compatibility for the encrypted files. As of
   right now, the metadata may be in the file header or in an xattr. There is
   no reason why the metadata could not be put in a separate file in future
   versions.

   Without the compatibility mode, backup utilities would have to know to
   back up the metadata file along with the files. The semantics of eCryptfs
   have always been that the lower files are self-contained units of encrypted
   data, and the only additional information required to decrypt any given
   eCryptfs file is the key. That is what has always been emphasized about
   eCryptfs lower files, and that is what users expect. Providing the
   encrypted view option will provide a way to userspace applications wherein
   they can always get to the same old familiar eCryptfs encrypted files,
   regardless of what eCryptfs winds up doing with the metadata behind the
   scenes.

How ever the man page states:
       ecryptfs_encrypted_view
              This option, when set, will have eCryptfs return the encrypted versions of the lower files, rather than decrypt
              encrypted files and return the decrypted data from the lower files. This options is useful for such things as
              backup utilities.

Revision history for this message
Tyler Hicks (tyhicks) wrote :

Assigning this to myself - I need to update the man page for ecryptfs_unlink_sigs, also.

Changed in ecryptfs:
assignee: nobody → tyhicks
importance: Undecided → Low
status: New → Confirmed
Changed in ecryptfs:
status: Confirmed → Triaged
Revision history for this message
Tyler Hicks (tyhicks) wrote :
Changed in ecryptfs:
status: Triaged → Fix Committed
Changed in ecryptfs:
status: Fix Committed → Fix Released
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