About locking USB Flash Drive with password

satimis · 02-26-2006, 11:02 PM

Hi folks,

USB Flash Drive (Pen Drive)
Avixe Platinum Drive

Please advise how to add authenication on the drive so that other users can't mount it without password. I searched its manual on
http://www.avixe.com/support.asp

They have instruction for adding password for Windows. I can't find it for Linux.

TIA

B.R.
satimis

Hammett · 02-27-2006, 05:26 AM

You must create a separate user that will be the only one allowed to mount the pendrive.
Then you must edit your /etc/fstab and configure the mount point and device. On options, add "uid=user" (without "users" option)

Whenever you want to mount the pendrive, you'll be needed to log into that specific user.

satimis · 02-27-2006, 05:44 AM

Hi Hammett,

Tks for your advice.

Suppose "satimis" is only allowed to mount the Flash Drive.

On /etc/fstab

Code:

.....
/dev/sda1 /mnt/sda1 vfat noauto,exec,umask=000,uid=satimis 0 0

Whether it should look as above.

The problem is when I'm away while the PC is still running, any user can mount the device. Would it be possible adding a password? After typing "mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/sda1" [ENTER]. It will popup for password.

TIA

satimis

Hammett · 02-28-2006, 03:34 AM

AFAIK, linux does not work like this. Only with an X server you'll be able to have an emerging window where you'll be asked to provide user and password (and depending on which window manager you use). If you are connecting wth your PC via ssh, you'll need to log into satimis and then mount the pendrive.
Take out the "umask=000" option and only satimis should be able to mount it and read/write to it.
With the umask=000 option you're giving full permissions to everyone to access the drive (if I remember good).

Maybe it's possible to write a bash script that will enable the password thing you like to have (like making a regular su, provide password and then mount the drive) but this goes beyond my skills, as I'm not familiar with programming.

Hope it helps

satimis · 02-28-2006, 04:40 AM

Hi Hammett,

Tks for your advice.

Quote:

Take out the "umask=000" option and only satimis should be able to mount it and read/write to it.
With the umask=000 option you're giving full permissions to everyone to access the drive (if I remember good).

So the respective entry on /etc/fstab should look like

Code:

.....
/dev/sda1 /mnt/sda1 vfat noauto,exec,uid=satimis,rw 0 0

???

Can "root" mount the device?

Quote:

Maybe it's possible to write a bash script that will enable the password thing you like to have (like making a regular su, provide password and then mount the drive)

I have been thinking of it before. I'm now searching around for information how to start. This will be a simple bash script. I don't need GUI.

Others noted with tks.

B.R.
satimis

Hammett · 03-01-2006, 04:03 AM

Code:

/dev/sda1 /mnt/sda1 vfat noauto,exec,uid=satimis,rw 0 0

Exactely, this is how it should look your fstab.
Root user will be able to mount the pendrive as well. But if someone gets your root password, I think this will be the least important problem you'd have

satimis · 03-02-2006, 04:46 AM

Hi Hammett,

Noted with tks.

satimis