The Portable Freeware Collection Forums

So user Mixture pointed out in the iDailyDiary entry a "formless text editor with strong encryption":

CryptoTE 0.5.390 - https://idlebox.net/2009/cryptote/

I looked into it a bit ... claims to have a portable version, included password generator, GPL v2, cross platform, uses Serpent encryption (Advanced Encryption Standard finalist, much slower but higher security).

I use NotePad++ with GPG4USB, but this is probably more secure.

Tested:: Portable

Settings:: CryptoTE.ini in application folder

Finally sat down to test 0.5.390 and I'm very impressed. I thought would just be a simple secure notepad, but its kind of a mini TrueCrypt with a container format (.ect) for various files inside and not just text.

Awesome:

• Optional unencrypted header so you can list what's in the encrypted part of the file
• Inline compression and encryption -- you can turn it off one or both for either the container file or individual files
• Nice warning message explaining there's no getting your password back if you lose it
• Create many tabs, they're all saved in one file
• Auto-creates backup
• Multi-level undo (I tested about 10) and a way to back up to the original save file
• Ability to zoom in / out (for huge monitors or bad eyesight)
• Good built-in password generator

Good:

• Allows multiple passwords (good if you want one regular and one "failsafe" password)
• ANSI version available for older Windows machines
• Minimum 6 character password
• Well-written help file
• You can plug in ANY type of file and it'll show up as an easy-to-read hex editor
• Available command line interface
• An available version for Linux (CLI only)

Wishlist

• High priority
  
  • For some reason, warning message is not optional - you must wait the mandatory 15 seconds. This software is going to attract computer people who understand what they're doing anyway -- I want to be able to turn this off.
  • Way to drag-and-drop a container or text file into the window and have it open / import
  Low priority:
  
  • Way to switch over default settings to generate passwords (that aren't number or hex value only) that look vaguely like words (h3LL0, s1st3R etc.). There's a "pronounceable" group in a sub-menu that would also work.
  • Way to plug into the SimpleNote API to create a network backup
  • Support more platforms (Mac, Linux CLI, Android, etc.)
  • Some people are going to want the ability to save using AES. While I agree Serpent is probably more secure (and I hope it remains the default algorithm), its addition would probably see more use.
  • Images:
    - Available image viewer for images with a tab to switch between the image and Hex values.
    - Image thumbnails at the bottom in the lower window.
    - Easily import/export images/binary files

Some screenshots:

Finally went back and added. It beats any of the other encrypted notepad programs in the database both in terms of security and features, so I figured it was worth adding.

http://www.portablefreeware.com/index.php?id=2305

Also nice to add a portable Linux program to the database. The only other one that comes to mind is gpg4usb.

webfork wrote:... so I figured it was worth adding. ...

It surely was
Five voting points from me

Finding that CryptoTE has my favorite password generator functions: seems to create alternately the most random looking passwords or some legitimately easy to remember (yet still difficult) passwords via the “pronoucable” item.

Also, I’ve been using GPG4USB for my passwords for quite a while now, but sort of annoyed by the lack of a search function (I’ve suggested that to the developers, but there hasn’t been a release in quite a while). Might switch over to this one.

@webfork: So sorry to pester you again, but I was wondering why would you have forgone Keepass, which is my favored choice?

Midas wrote:why would you have forgone Keepass, which is my favored choice?

Based on previous testing from what is admittedly quite a while ago, overall the Windows client didn't work the way I wanted and another password tool that was supposed to be compatible with it on Android *kinda* worked so the whole ubiquious password thing was still really in the hands of LastPass and that's only for the browser. Anyway, maybe it's improved since the last test. Does Keepass do pronounceable passwords?

There is a pronounceable password generator plugin for Keepass 2.x available at http://sourceforge.net/projects/pronouncepwgen/. There does not seem to be one for Keepass 1.x.

That settles it, then. Thanks to both...