Silk Road forums

Discussion => Security => Topic started by: Limetless on May 24, 2012, 11:31 pm

Title: Need help with encrypting my Mac and using GPG on it.
Post by: Limetless on May 24, 2012, 11:31 pm
Anyone want to lend a hand?

Got a new Macbook today and things seem to work a bit differently on here. Help a brother out when he's in need!
Title: Re: Need help with encrypting my Mac and using GPG on it.
Post by: echo_ on May 24, 2012, 11:50 pm
Grab GPG Tools. Import your public keys into the key manager (and secret keys from your old install if you choose to). I do all my encryption by the command line, though I'm sure they have some sort of GUI method.

To decrypt the command is:
gpg -o decrytedfileoutput.txt -d encryptedfileinput.txt

To encrypt the command is:
gpg --recipient name --armor --encrypt filetoencrypt.txt

This will output the encrypted file as .asc (ASCII armored)

The command line is called "Terminal", you can search for it by clicking the magnifying glass in the top right or find it in Applications>Utilities. The default folder you are in is "~" which is common parlance for your user folder (which has the icon of a "home" in the Mac OS X filesystem GUI).

To edit txt files the app is Textedit, which is also in the standard Utilities folder.

Hope this helps ~
Title: Re: Need help with encrypting my Mac and using GPG on it.
Post by: war on May 24, 2012, 11:54 pm
I have no idea what guy above me is talking about but i use GPG on my Mac and can help you if you want buddy, just PM me :) 
Title: Re: Need help with encrypting my Mac and using GPG on it.
Post by: Limetless on May 25, 2012, 12:01 am
I have no idea what guy above me is talking about but i use GPG on my Mac and can help you if you want buddy, just PM me :)

PMed you mate. :)
Title: Re: Need help with encrypting my Mac and using GPG on it.
Post by: Knomo on May 25, 2012, 03:07 am
Welcome to the wonderful world of Macintosh ;D You'll never want anything else, trust me.
Title: Re: Need help with encrypting my Mac and using GPG on it.
Post by: Appa on May 25, 2012, 03:24 am
echo_ has it right that you want GPGTools, but you don't have to do it through Terminal.  It's actually pretty easy, simpler than Windows, from what I understand.

I'm going to just throw together a rough guide from memory so anyone who searches about GPG encryption on Mac OSX will have a handy guide.  I'll assume the reader is a total Mac n00b, so forgive any simplicity.

-Download GPGTools from gpgtools.org.
-To create a new key, open the GPG Keychain Access (I use Spotlight to find it easily, but you can put it somewhere specific.  Search with Spotlight with Cmd+Spacebar.)  Click "New" and put in your info, then wiggle the cursor and shit like the directions tell you to.  Done!
-You probably have a key you want to keep using, so here's how to import keys (I've only done this with others' public keys, but I'm sure it works with a private key as well).  Use the Text Edit (TE) application.  To import a key, paste it into TE, highlight it>right click>Services>Import key.  Now that key will be saved in the aforementioned GPG Keychain Access application.
-To encrypt: type what you want in TE.  Highlight>right click>Services>Encrypt.  Select public key of person to whom you want it encrypted from the menu.  Select the private key with which you want it encrypted from the dropdown menu at the bottom.  The text in TE will change to the encrypted message.
-To decrypt, it's pretty much the same: paste message in TE, highlight>right click>Services>Decrypt.  Put in the password for your key.  Text in TE changes to the plaintext message.
-There are many other options in the Services menu, like Signing and Verifying, but they're pretty straightforward at this point.

I had an issue at first where the options weren't showing up in Services.  If that happens, you have to fiddle around in the System Preferences (probably near the right side of your Dock).  Select "Keyboard," of all things, then "Services" from the source (menu on the left).  Find everything labelled "OpenPGP" and check all the ones you want.

Hope that helps!
Title: Re: Need help with encrypting my Mac and using GPG on it.
Post by: Limetless on May 25, 2012, 03:40 am
Ok so basically I can import keys and decrypt stuff sent to me but I can't encrypt with other people's keys because it says the key isn't validated. Help please, almost there and getting pissed off now lol....
Title: Re: Need help with encrypting my Mac and using GPG on it.
Post by: CrunchyFrog on May 25, 2012, 03:46 am
Quote from: Limetless
Ok so basically I can import keys and decrypt stuff sent to me but I can't encrypt with other people's keys because it says the key isn't validated....
Set a higher trust level on the key(s), perhaps?  (Just a guess; not a Mac person.)
Title: Re: Need help with encrypting my Mac and using GPG on it.
Post by: Limetless on May 25, 2012, 03:52 am
Quote from: Limetless
Ok so basically I can import keys and decrypt stuff sent to me but I can't encrypt with other people's keys because it says the key isn't validated....
Set a higher trust level on the key(s), perhaps?  (Just a guess; not a Mac person.)

I think I may have cracked it, just waiting for a response from a test message. If it doesn't work then I'm going to kill myself.
Title: Re: Need help with encrypting my Mac and using GPG on it.
Post by: sbautor on May 25, 2012, 05:00 am
- I type a message in TextEdit, save the Untitled.txt to my desktop.
- Right click > Services > Open PGP: Encrypt File
- It outputs as Untitled.txt.GPG

I can't send the .GPG to the recipient so how do I get the encrypted plain text?
The Untitled.txt is unchanged after the encryption.

tldr; I'm stuck at "The text in TE will change to the encrypted message."
Title: Re: Need help with encrypting my Mac and using GPG on it.
Post by: Appa on May 25, 2012, 05:44 am
- I type a message in TextEdit, save the Untitled.txt to my desktop.
- Right click > Services > Open PGP: Encrypt File
- It outputs as Untitled.txt.GPG

Yeah, I got stuck on that step too.  Read my above directions more carefully.  You don't actually save the document as a .txt like many guides say; you just highlight the text of the message you want to send, then right click on the highlighted portion of text>Services>Encrypt.  I hope that helps clarify things.
Title: Re: Need help with encrypting my Mac and using GPG on it.
Post by: opi on May 25, 2012, 10:46 pm
- I type a message in TextEdit, save the Untitled.txt to my desktop.
- Right click > Services > Open PGP: Encrypt File
- It outputs as Untitled.txt.GPG

I can't send the .GPG to the recipient so how do I get the encrypted plain text?
The Untitled.txt is unchanged after the encryption.

tldr; I'm stuck at "The text in TE will change to the encrypted message."

you don't send the file.. it just encrypts the text in the text editor.. highlight the text, right click services then encrypt.

I have it both on my new mb air and old mb pro
Title: Re: Need help with encrypting my Mac and using GPG on it.
Post by: flipside on May 26, 2012, 11:18 am
Instead of "ever" having to touch the command line/terminal, we "highly" recommend this thread for those wishing to use GPG on OSX:

"9 Easy Steps- An OSX Tutorial for Setting up Tormail with Thunderbird/Enigmail":

http://dkn255hz262ypmii.onion/index.php?topic=8235

Peace

TFC

[Feel free to add more "negative" karma. Thank you.]

Title: Re: Need help with encrypting my Mac and using GPG on it.
Post by: justsomeguy on May 26, 2012, 08:24 pm
Thanks for the link, flipside, good info.

[Feel free to add more "negative" karma. Thank you.]

Why do you have so much negative karma, anyway?  I'm not sure I've ever seen you be anything but polite and helpful.  Did I miss some incident?
Title: Re: Need help with encrypting my Mac and using GPG on it.
Post by: LainOfTheWired1984 on May 26, 2012, 08:29 pm
Thanks for the link, flipside, good info.

[Feel free to add more "negative" karma. Thank you.]

Why do you have so much negative karma, anyway?  I'm not sure I've ever seen you be anything but polite and helpful.  Did I miss some incident?

Early on, people though Flipside, or "Team Flipside", as he calls it, was actually infiltrating LEO. That's most likely where that all comes from.
Title: Re: Need help with encrypting my Mac and using GPG on it.
Post by: flipside on May 26, 2012, 09:11 pm
Or competing vendors possibly attempting to discredit us? Who knows? We "just" received one more. Who knows why? It's pretty ridiculous, and there's plenty of threads about it. You should rely more more on the "positive" karma any member receives vs. the negative. imo.

And we truly are a "Crew" All separated in different states for additional protection. For example, I take care of 'Customer Service'. If 'they' were to ever track me down, our re-shippers have nothing to worry about cuz I'm (obviously) not gonna "roll" over some 'personal' laying around or whatever. I'd never "roll" regardless, but we feel it truly is a safer method of doing business, "if" you have a reliable Crew. Like we do. With our (soon to be doubling) selection, one person can't source "everything", import, press, cook, ship, "safely" clean our 'dirty' btc laundry, 'and' be here for our customers all at the same time. It truly does takes a "team".

[Off-topic. Sorry.] :(

But Mac (being Unix based) is second only to "Opensource" Linux with Tails/Liberte. You just have to remember to do things like change your MAC addy. There are programs like MacDaddy that "used" to work, but no more it seems. It "might" work for you? Try it perhaps?

But you can manually change your MAC addy. Just put a text file on your desktop with the commands below so it's ready when you boot your Mac. Open terminal, copy paste in this order and change the MAC numbers/letters each time, turn Airport off, then back on again. It's a small hassle, but worth it! ;)

------------

ifconfig en1 | grep ether   * (tells you your current MAC address)

sudo /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework/Versions/Current/Resources/airport -z    * (asks for admin password)

sudo ifconfig en1 ether 00:27:45:78:c3:a2    * (change these numbers each time)

ifconfig en1 | grep ether   * (tells you your brand new "spoofed" MAC addy!)

-------------

If there's a "coder" out there who could make this into a simple script with a basic GUI (with auto-rotating MAC addys' perhaps?), that would be great! Then anyone could just set it as a "Log-in" item, and you never have to worry about it!

It's seems like it would be pretty simple to write, and we'd happily pay $omeone to do it so we could offer it up to the Mac community?

Any "coders" out there that want to make a few BTC? And contribute to the community?

Peace

TFC

Title: Re: Need help with encrypting my Mac and using GPG on it.
Post by: justsomeguy on May 27, 2012, 07:01 am
That's some great info, Flipside, thanks.  I'll hold some positive karma as an IOU once I have 100 posts. ;)


Sorry off topic again, but just something I've noticed: not trying to be rude or anything, but you (Flipside) use quotes a LOT.  I know there's no way to use bold and stuff on this forum, but quote marks mean specific things, and usually the context you use them in sounds like you're being sarcastic or something.  I know that you're not at all, and I can usually figure it out after a sec so it's not really a problem, but just thought you should know it's kinda confusing to read your otherwise well written stuff.  I wish there was a way to do HTML or whatever on this forum!
Title: Re: Need help with encrypting my Mac and using GPG on it.
Post by: flipside on May 27, 2012, 07:42 am
Well I am pretty sarcastic at times. And subtle things like sarcasm do not come across very well when being sent over the internetz, so I can see how that could get confusing when trying to be serious at the same time. Sorry if it makes it hard to read. I've never considered that. I just use quotes when I want to put some "emphasis" on something, ya know? Just got to 'adapt' I suppose.

Because indeed some html would likely help.

</off topic rant>

But thanks for the kind words 'justsomeguy'. ;)

Peace
Title: Re: Need help with encrypting my Mac and using GPG on it.
Post by: opi on May 27, 2012, 08:02 am
ifconfig en1 | grep ether   * (tells you your current MAC address)

sudo /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework/Versions/Current/Resources/airport -z    * (asks for admin password)

sudo ifconfig en1 ether 00:27:45:78:c3:a2    * (change these numbers each time)

ifconfig en1 | grep ether   * (tells you your brand new "spoofed" MAC addy!)





that doesn't work on my new mb air with lion. 
Title: Re: Need help with encrypting my Mac and using GPG on it.
Post by: flipside on May 27, 2012, 08:15 am
Well I haven't tried it on Lion, and Apple 'is' constantly changing their (hard and software) architecture. Yet I wouldn't imagine the command line would be effected though. But then again, I'm no Unix-geek.

It works on Leopard, Snow Leopard, ect, for sure.

At which point do you encounter a problem opi?
Title: Re: Need help with encrypting my Mac and using GPG on it.
Post by: sl1pknot on May 27, 2012, 03:25 pm
Instead of "ever" having to touch the command line/terminal, we "highly" recommend this thread for those wishing to use GPG on OSX:

"9 Easy Steps- An OSX Tutorial for Setting up Tormail with Thunderbird/Enigmail":

http://dkn255hz262ypmii.onion/index.php?topic=8235

Peace

TFC

[Feel free to add more "negative" karma. Thank you.]

There is no reason to be using Tormail with Thunderbird, you are fine by installing the Tor Browser Bundle and GPG Tools to a USB and encrypting that with TrueCrypt. I would also put 2 hidden volumes on your USB, one with some porn files just in case shit ever hits the fan. Encrypt the porn with an easier password and Tor/GPG with a more complex one. That way if you are ordered to give up your password/LE cracks it (they would crack the simple password) it will appear as though you have only encrypted your USB to hide porn as they will not be able to prove you have another encrypted volume on the USB.
Title: Re: Need help with encrypting my Mac and using GPG on it.
Post by: echo_ on May 27, 2012, 04:39 pm
I don't know why everyone's afraid of the command line. All I do is hit the up arrow (to get to past commands) and change the filename and press enter. I didn't know you could highlight something and then go to services, though.
Title: Re: Need help with encrypting my Mac and using GPG on it.
Post by: bkth on May 27, 2012, 05:25 pm
Or competing vendors possibly attempting to discredit us? Who knows? We "just" received one more. Who knows why? It's pretty ridiculous, and there's plenty of threads about it. You should rely more more on the "positive" karma any member receives vs. the negative. imo.

And we truly are a "Crew" All separated in different states for additional protection. For example, I take care of 'Customer Service'. If 'they' were to ever track me down, our re-shippers have nothing to worry about cuz I'm (obviously) not gonna "roll" over some 'personal' laying around or whatever. I'd never "roll" regardless, but we feel it truly is a safer method of doing business, "if" you have a reliable Crew. Like we do. With our (soon to be doubling) selection, one person can't source "everything", import, press, cook, ship, "safely" clean our 'dirty' btc laundry, 'and' be here for our customers all at the same time. It truly does takes a "team".

[Off-topic. Sorry.] :(

But Mac (being Unix based) is second only to "Opensource" Linux with Tails/Liberte. You just have to remember to do things like change your MAC addy. There are programs like MacDaddy that "used" to work, but no more it seems. It "might" work for you? Try it perhaps?

But you can manually change your MAC addy. Just put a text file on your desktop with the commands below so it's ready when you boot your Mac. Open terminal, copy paste in this order and change the MAC numbers/letters each time, turn Airport off, then back on again. It's a small hassle, but worth it! ;)

------------

ifconfig en1 | grep ether   * (tells you your current MAC address)

sudo /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework/Versions/Current/Resources/airport -z    * (asks for admin password)

sudo ifconfig en1 ether 00:27:45:78:c3:a2    * (change these numbers each time)

ifconfig en1 | grep ether   * (tells you your brand new "spoofed" MAC addy!)

-------------

If there's a "coder" out there who could make this into a simple script with a basic GUI (with auto-rotating MAC addys' perhaps?), that would be great! Then anyone could just set it as a "Log-in" item, and you never have to worry about it!

It's seems like it would be pretty simple to write, and we'd happily pay $omeone to do it so we could offer it up to the Mac community?

Any "coders" out there that want to make a few BTC? And contribute to the community?

Peace

TFC

Im probably being very naive here but is it essential that you change your MAC addy? I don't sell here and im not in the US so I guess im not as paranoid as maybe I should be, im only buying personal supplies.

Can you be compromised from a MAC address? I thought it went no further than the router?

Is a VPN into Tor generally considered safe enough? Or should I be stepping things up security wise? Any advice appreciated. Thanks.
Title: Re: Need help with encrypting my Mac and using GPG on it.
Post by: opi on May 27, 2012, 05:41 pm
Well I haven't tried it on Lion, and Apple 'is' constantly changing their (hard and software) architecture. Yet I wouldn't imagine the command line would be effected though. But then again, I'm no Unix-geek.

It works on Leopard, Snow Leopard, ect, for sure.

At which point do you encounter a problem opi?

the first command line.

it works on snow leopard not on lion...
Title: Re: Need help with encrypting my Mac and using GPG on it.
Post by: michaeljackson on May 27, 2012, 06:34 pm
Great info thread. I use my macbook with TAILS on a bootable usb, and it works flawlessly and leaves absolutely no trace on the system. It comes with incredibly easy integrated PGP encryption and everything you need and you can plug it into any computer to use anywhere. And it's extremely fast too. I highly recommend it. Keep your tor and darkweb activity to tails on an encrypted usb that's easy to 'lose', and your real everyday shit on OSX so there's nothing associating your macbook with tor use (other than a mac address, which you can change). So you can still use the internet to buy sleeping pills in case you decide to fake your own death or something.

I hear a lot of people complain about not being able to boot from a USB with a Mac. In order to boot to a usb with a Mac, you'll need a BIOS bootloader on a cd, since Macs use GUID instead of BIOS. Long story short, GUID won't recognize a bootable usb unless it's partitioned a certain uncommon way. Just search for a "freeware bios usb bootloader", download it, burn it, restart your computer, holding down the "option (alt)" key once it restarts and the screen is white (but before the apple logo appears). Once the icons pop-up, click on the cd to boot from the cd (it always says Windows, regardless of what's on the cd). Then boot to the usb and take the BIOS cd out after it loads.

I hope what I wrote was helpful.
Title: Re: Need help with encrypting my Mac and using GPG on it.
Post by: flipside on May 27, 2012, 06:44 pm
There is no reason to be using Tormail with Thunderbird, you are fine by installing the Tor Browser Bundle and GPG Tools to a USB and encrypting that with TrueCrypt. I would also put 2 hidden volumes on your USB, one with some porn files just in case shit ever hits the fan. Encrypt the porn with an easier password and Tor/GPG with a more complex one. That way if you are ordered to give up your password/LE cracks it (they would crack the simple password) it will appear as though you have only encrypted your USB to hide porn as they will not be able to prove you have another encrypted volume on the USB.

There are plenty of reasons to use Thunderbird (or any email client) to access your email. Just to name a couple, it allows you to access multiple email accounts vs. having to individually log in to each one each time using their webmail interface (if they even have one, and if they do often require Java). At least Tormail offers the Java-free 'Squirrellmail" interface.  Using a client like Thunderbird, AppleMail, ect also allows end-to-end "offline" encryption using Enigmail.

Using Truecrypt has nothing to do with that. "Everything" sensitive (apps, keys, plists, files, ect) you use should be dual-hidden volume Truecrypted regardless on the smallest flash drives possible. Fx, it's much easier to eat an SD card vs. a USB flash drive, lol. :)

I think you may be confusing the two concepts. However if you don't use email often, and primarily choose to use the (not recommended by us) SR-PM system alone, then just using TBB with GPG alone should be fine.

@bkth: It's never a bad idea to spoof your MAC address. Especially if you are on a private connection, however I use them on public (or otherwise anonymous) connections as well. Your MAC address is stored on the router, which could link your specific computer to that router. This can be dangerous for various reasons, but for the average buyer it's not 'essential'. It's more vendors that should be concerned about these things, but then again, if they ever attempted a controlled delivery/search warrant on your home due to an intercepted package, then you might be kicking yourself for not spoofing your MAC addy.

@opi: So you have 'personally' tried it on Snow Leopard then? Just to be sure it wasn't a small copy/paste error or something.

If so, then I wouldn't know why it wouldn't work with Lion. Perhaps a Unix geek could chime in? Or perhaps try a little googling and searching on some Mac forums in case something did change with Lion. If that's the case, you may find more luck there. There are tons of great Mac-forums with very intelligent, helpful members. But I still can't imagine simple commands like that would change . But then again. I am a perma-fried space-case. ;)

@ michaeljackson: Were you able to install Tails to usb to run on your Mac without using a Windoze computer? It's seems like a hassle to do it any other way.

You can accomplish the same "leave no trace" ability using most of the info on this thread as well, but agreed, as I mentioned Tails/Liberte IS preferable for many reasons as it does many things automatically, like spoofing your MAC addy. I do believe? Either Tails or Liberte does as least I'm pretty sure.

But then again, if you're "really" sneaky, you can use Thunderbird/GPG ect and spread the essential files across TWO flash drives. (So one doesn't work without the other). Hidden separatly. Like needing two keys to launch a nuke. To be extra sneaky, 'perhaps' you could use your iPod, ect and put a hidden-volume on there? ;)

Peace

TFC

Title: Re: Need help with encrypting my Mac and using GPG on it.
Post by: michaeljackson on May 27, 2012, 07:04 pm
Well, the new version of Tails has a Tails USB installer built into it. I just burnt Tails to a dvd, loaded it up, put in a flashdrive, ran the Tails USB Installer in the applications menu and it created it for me. I use the USB instead of the dvd because it's about 1000x faster and they enabled persistence, so you can keep all your sensitive information (like PGP keys, bookmarks, shell-scripts I wrote to change my mac address) on the same USB on a different encrypted partition. Also with USB it frees up the cd-burner. Comes with built-in wifi-cracking tools too. The new Tails distro is definately worth checking out, especially for persistence.
Title: Re: Need help with encrypting my Mac and using GPG on it.
Post by: sl1pknot on May 27, 2012, 07:11 pm
Yeah, I wasn't saying don't use it, of course you can and it allows you to use multiple emails. Meant to say it's not necessary. I don't mind just opening up tormail in tor.
Title: Re: Need help with encrypting my Mac and using GPG on it.
Post by: flipside on May 27, 2012, 07:21 pm
Thanks michaeljackson!

I'll give that a shot. It (in the past at least) was quite a hassle to do it without using a Windoze computer.

(Which I would prefer to never even 'look at' again.)  ;)

Quote
Comes with built-in wifi-cracking tools too.

KisMac is another GREAT program for this!

And sl1pknot: Just to add on to your comment for any 'newbies' who may be reading this. If you choose to log-in directly to Tormail via webmail, be sure you have first encrypted and copied your GPGiberish before pasting it in Tormail. Tor mail is NOT GPG encrypted by default, and only provides a Tor level of protection.

Peace

Title: Re: Need help with encrypting my Mac and using GPG on it.
Post by: wednesday adams on May 29, 2012, 04:21 am
Great info thread. I use my macbook with TAILS on a bootable usb, and it works flawlessly and leaves absolutely no trace on the system. It comes with incredibly easy integrated PGP encryption and everything you need and you can plug it into any computer to use anywhere. And it's extremely fast too. I highly recommend it. Keep your tor and darkweb activity to tails on an encrypted usb that's easy to 'lose', and your real everyday shit on OSX so there's nothing associating your macbook with tor use (other than a mac address, which you can change). So you can still use the internet to buy sleeping pills in case you decide to fake your own death or something.

I hear a lot of people complain about not being able to boot from a USB with a Mac. In order to boot to a usb with a Mac, you'll need a BIOS bootloader on a cd, since Macs use GUID instead of BIOS. Long story short, GUID won't recognize a bootable usb unless it's partitioned a certain uncommon way. Just search for a "freeware bios usb bootloader", download it, burn it, restart your computer, holding down the "option (alt)" key once it restarts and the screen is white (but before the apple logo appears). Once the icons pop-up, click on the cd to boot from the cd (it always says Windows, regardless of what's on the cd). Then boot to the usb and take the BIOS cd out after it loads.

I hope what I wrote was helpful.

Hey Michael Jackson!!  You seem to know your stuff, I'm wondering where you say "then boot to the usb"  what does that mean, is there a window or selection that appears that we can check?  How does one boot to the usb from the bios cd?

Also, what does it mean to change my mac addy?  What's the significance of this and how exactly do I do it?  Lastly, how to I move my tor browser bundle/"portable gpg" that I"ve already downloaded on my laptop onto the usb drive do I can permanaently delete it from my machine?---(btw I also don't know how to permanently delete any files on my computer)...........ANY help from MJ or anyone out there GREATLY appreciated!!!
Title: Re: Need help with encrypting my Mac and using GPG on it.
Post by: michaeljackson on May 29, 2012, 02:05 pm
Hey Michael Jackson!!  You seem to know your stuff, I'm wondering where you say "then boot to the usb"  what does that mean, is there a window or selection that appears that we can check?  How does one boot to the usb from the bios cd?

Also, what does it mean to change my mac addy?  What's the significance of this and how exactly do I do it?  Lastly, how to I move my tor browser bundle/"portable gpg" that I"ve already downloaded on my laptop onto the usb drive do I can permanaently delete it from my machine?---(btw I also don't know how to permanently delete any files on my computer)...........ANY help from MJ or anyone out there GREATLY appreciated!!!

Well, I use Plop boot manager on a cd. Here's a link to their website with instructions on how to put it on a cd. It's on the clearnet

http://www.plop.at/en/bootmanager/plpbt.bin.html#runcd

Don't worry about the 'create your own ISO'. If you burn the file plpbt.iso to a cd or dvd and boot to it, it comes up with a menu that looks like this screenshot. Another clearnet link

http://www.plop.at/slide16en01.html

Basically, just use the arrow keys to go down to usb and push enter. If you have a working bootable usb drive with a live OS on it plugged in it'll boot from it, even on a Mac.

I suppose you can just put the tor browser bundle .app and your gpg app on a usb and open it from that in OSX if you really want to. I believe in OSX files in the trash are written over with random data when you empty the trash so your deleted files aren't recoverable, but I only read that somewhere so I don't know for sure. You won't need to put your Tor Browser Bundle or anything else from your computer on the usb if you use TAILS. TAILS is a linux distribution that routes all your internet traffic through tor automatically and can be put onto a usb. Basically a mini portable Operating System. Last clearnet link

https://tails.boum.org/

Changing your mac address isn't really 100% necessary for a newbie. Personally, I wouldn't worry about it if you're only a buyer. I only do it for peace of mind and to make myself feel like I'm fucking over Whitey. That guy is a complete dick. I was man-handled by his goons once, and there was doo-doo and feces all over the wall in the jail. I was accused of terrible things. I would never touch a child.
Title: Re: Need help with encrypting my Mac and using GPG on it.
Post by: flipside on May 29, 2012, 09:06 pm
Hey michaeljackson.

Wasn't sure if you would be back or not, but quick question if you may perhaps have an answer?

Followed your instruction along with the instructions along with those on the Tails website.

After downloading the .iso and trying to burn it to DVD using Disk Utility, I get this error:

"Unable to burn "tails-i386-0.11.iso". (not recognized)"

Perhaps I should just download another torrent of Toast and try that instead, as I've always had more success using Toast vs. DU. But just thought perhaps you may have some insight?

I would just like to 'play around' a bit with Tails/Liberte is all, especially if it can be as easily installed on OSX these days as you mentioned. If possible.

But so far...not possible. :(

Oh. And quote:

"I believe in OSX files in the trash are written over with random data when you empty the trash so your deleted files aren't recoverable, but I only read that somewhere so I don't know for sure."

This is only if you choose the "Secure Empty Trash" option. It takes FAR longer, but well worth if you need to delete sensitive files of course.

Peace

Title: Re: Need help with encrypting my Mac and using GPG on it.
Post by: michaeljackson on May 29, 2012, 10:10 pm
Hey flipside,

Yeah, I just used Toast to burn it. I love me some Toast. It's one of those rare burning programs that never lets me down. Right-click, 'Toast it', done. Disk Utility's burner has always been funky for me too. Maybe due to the huge pile of money Apple is currently rolling in, they forgot to fix it after an update or something. I hear you on never wanting to even 'look' at a windows screen again. I find I have to actively try not to be the stereotypical "pretentious Mac douchebag" when it comes to talking to people about windows, but it's just soooo hard not to be.

Also, tried KisMac upon your recommendation. Nice program mate. And thanks for the clarification on securely emptying the trash. Take it easy.
Title: Re: Need help with encrypting my Mac and using GPG on it.
Post by: flipside on May 30, 2012, 01:40 am
michael,

Don't be afraid! Stand up and say it PROUD! Windoze is nothing but YEARS and YEARS of sloppy code compared to ANYTHING Unix-based! :)

OSX, although 'Closedsource' is at least Unix-based and a lot more "user-friendly" than Linux for sure. Support for Linux apps can leave a lot to be desired as well from what I can tell. Just run third-party 'Opensource' apps on your Mac and your good to go.

But I figured it might be job for Super-Toast. Will indeed give that a shot then. Thanks. :)

And yeah. Kismac is tha shiznizzle. Crack WEP in less than 3 minutes. Using a 'cantenna' or something similar on top is just yet (one of MANY) other ways to stay highly anonymous as well. Although I haven't used that method in quite some time. Modern technology and all.  ;)

+1 one for you if I'm allowed after posting this. If not, then next time.

Peace ;)
Title: Re: Need help with encrypting my Mac and using GPG on it.
Post by: wednesday adams on May 30, 2012, 06:11 am


Basically, just use the arrow keys to go down to usb and push enter. If you have a working bootable usb drive with a live OS on it plugged in it'll boot from it, even on a Mac.


Thanks MJ,
Really basic question here, in order to have a "working bootable usb drive".........can I buy just any usb/flash drive or is there a certain brand/type I need to get?

Also, if anyone out there feels extra generous : )............it be really awesome to have a step by step list of how to anonymize (sp?) your SR and related activities via a usb drive. 

For ex,
1)........purchase X type of usb
2) Download Y program and intall it on etc etc..........

I guess I'll just keep on dreaming............: )