xref: /freebsd/usr.bin/enigma/enigma.1 (revision be06d37c189080b5998f070f5de8317bceaf3086)
1.\"
2.\" enigma (aka. crypt) man page written by Joerg Wunsch.
3.\"
4.\" Since enigma itself is distributed in the Public Domain, this file
5.\" is also.
6.\"
7.\" $FreeBSD$
8.\" "
9.Dd October 30, 1998
10.Os
11.Dt ENIGMA 1
12.Sh NAME
13.Nm enigma ,
14.Nm crypt
15.Nd very simple file encryption
16.Sh SYNOPSIS
17.Nm
18.Op Fl s
19.Op Fl k
20.Op Ar password
21.Nm crypt
22.Op Fl s
23.Op Fl k
24.Op Ar password
25.Sh DESCRIPTION
26The
27.Nm
28utility, also known as
29.Nm crypt
30is a
31.Em very
32simple encryption program, working on a
33.Dq secret-key
34basis.  It operates as a filter, i. e. it encrypts or decrypts a
35stream of data from standard input, and writes the result to standard
36output.
37Since its operation is fully symmetrical, feeding the encrypted data
38stream again through the engine (using the same secret key) will
39decrypt it.
40.Pp
41There are several ways to provide the secret key to the program.  By
42default, the program prompts the user on the controlling terminal for
43the key, using
44.Xr getpass 3 .
45This is the only safe way of providing it.
46.Pp
47Alternatively, the key can be provided as the sole command-line
48argument
49.Ar password
50when starting the program.  Obviously, this way the key can easily be
51spotted by other users running
52.Xr ps 1 .
53As yet another alternative,
54.Nm
55can be given the option
56.Fl k ,
57and it will take the key from the environment variable
58.Ev CrYpTkEy .
59While this at a first glance seems to be more secure than the previous
60option, it actually isn't since environment variables can also be
61examined with
62.Xr ps 1 .
63Thus this option is mainly provided for compatibility with other
64implementations of
65.Nm .
66.Pp
67When specifying the option
68.Fl s ,
69.Nm
70modifies the encryption engine in a way that is supposed to make it a
71little more secure, but incompatible with other implementations.
72.Pp
73.Ss Warning
74The cryptographic value of
75.Nm
76is rather small.  This program is only provided here for compatibility
77with other operating systems that also provide an implementation.  For
78real encryption, refer to
79.Xr bdes 1
80(from the DES distribution package), or
81.Xr pgp 1
82(from the ports collection).  However, restrictions for exporting,
83importing or using such tools might exist in some countries, so those
84stronger programs are not being shipped as part of the operating
85system by default.
86.Sh ENVIRONMENT
87.Bl -tag -offset indent -width "XXCrYpTkEy"
88.It Ev CrYpTkEy
89used to obtain the secret key when option
90.Fl k
91has been given
92.El
93.Sh EXAMPLES
94.Bd -literal -offset indent
95man enigma | enigma > encrypted
96Enter key: (XXX \(em key not echoed)
97.Ed
98.Pp
99This will create an encrypted form of this man page, and store it in
100the file
101.Ql encrypted .
102.Bd -literal -offset indent
103enigma XXX < encrypted
104.Ed
105.Pp
106This displays the previously created file on the terminal.
107.Sh SEE ALSO
108.Xr bdes 1 ,
109.Xr pgp 1 ,
110.Xr ps 1 ,
111.Xr getpass 3
112.Sh HISTORY
113Implementations of
114.Nm crypt
115are very common among
116.Ux
117operating systems.  This implementation has been taken from the
118.Em Cryptbreakers Workbench
119which is in the public domain.
120