Getting started

Overview

SecretSync works together with the Dropbox service to securely sync your files. It does this using client-side encryption, which means that before your files are added to Dropbox, they are encrypted first, on your computer.

If you use Dropbox, you know that it installs a special folder on your computer. Anything you put in that folder gets synchronized to all your other computers.

SecretSync also installs a special folder, separate from Dropbox, for confidential or sensitive documents. After installing SecretSync, you will have two folders on your computer, the SecretSync folder and the Dropbox folder.

If you have sensitive or confidential documents, put them in the SecretSync folder. SecretSync detects the new file, encrypts it, and adds it to Dropbox, in a special "tunnel" folder. Dropbox then synchronizes the encrypted file to your other computers.

If SecretSync is also installed on your other computers, it will detect that Dropbox has updated files in the SecretSync "tunnel" folder, decrypt them, and add them to the SecretSync folder on those computers.

Windows

Accessing the SecretSync folder

After you've installed SecretSync, you'll want to access the SecretSync folder to add files. There are several shortcuts installed to get to it.

You can always access it from the Start Menu (Windows) by going to the SecretSync menu item:

Also, a shortcut is added automatically under My Documents, and optionally, on the Desktop.

Keep in mind that the SecretSync folder is just a folder on your computer like any other, so you can create shortcuts to it however you like. We like to have it pinned to the Start Menu for easy access!

IMPORTANT  Do not put files in the .SecretSync_tunnel_Root folder that gets installed under the Dropbox folder. This is a special hidden folder where SecretSync places the files after they've been encrypted. You may suffer data corruption if you put files in the .SecretSync_tunnel_Root folder.

Syncing multiple computers

The big advantage of sync is that it keeps files updated on more than one computer, with little effort on your part. SecretSync was designed to do this while ensuring that your data never goes online without being encrypted first.

To sync multiple computers, you will need to install SecretSync on all the computers you are currently keeping in sync with Dropbox.

On the first installation of SecretSync, you'll need to sign-up for an encryption key. Just check the "I do not have an account for SecretSync" checkbox, enter your email, and confirm a password.

On the remaining installations, enter the account information from the first install.

This is important! If you enter a different account, it will get the wrong key, and will not be able to decrypt your data. Or worse, it will corrupt your data because it's using different keys!

Checking and getting Java

SecretSync was built in Java. So you'll need to have Java installed on your computer first.

It's really easy to get. Simply go to:

http://www.java.com/

and click the download link. You can also check to see if you already have Java, by clicking the "Do I have Java?" link on the above page.

Setting a client-side passphrase

During installation, you will be prompted to enter an optional passphrase. This is a secret that only you know, and is stored only on your computer.

Using a passphrase in addition to the strong, randomly generated key we provide gives you an extra level of security, since no one knows the passphrase but you. However, it also adds an extra level of inconvenience.

Whatever passphrase you pick must be remembered by you. If you forget or lose this passphrase, we cannot help you recover it.

You must use the same passphrase for every install. Otherwise, files will be corrupted as they are synchronized between computers.

If you initially installed SecretSync without a passphrase, or want to change your passphrase, you will need to (1) copy all your data out of the SecretSync folder, (2) uninstall SecretSync from all your computers, and (3) re-install with the new key.

We recommend using this setting if you are an advanced user. If you don't specify a passphrase, you still get the benefit of client-side encryption, as well as separation of key from data: Dropbox stores your data, while we, a separate entity, store your key.

Checking the synchronization changes

Included with SecretSync is a log viewer that lets you check and see what files or folders SecretSync has encrypted and synchronized.

On Windows, go to Start - SecretSync, and select SecretSync Log. You'll get the following viewer. You can stop or start synchronization from this window as well.

Stopping and starting SecretSync

To stop the SecretSync service, open the SecretSync Log app and click the "Stop sync" button.

To restart it, click "Start sync".

SecretSync installs to your "Startup" directory, so it automatically starts when you log in. If you only want to run it manually, remove it from "Startup" and use the methods above to start and stop.

Uninstalling SecretSync

To uninstall SecretSync, simply go to the SecretSync menu and select the Uninstall shortcut. Here's the shortcut in Windows XP:

Adjust Windows User Account Controls

If SecretSync is installed, but doesn't appear to be running, you may need to adjust the Windows User Account Control settings.

Details on how to adjust these settings can be found on Microsoft's support site, here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/975787

We recommend a UAC setting of Notify me only when programs try to make changes to my computer or Never notify.

OS X

On OS X, as on all platforms, SecretSync starts automatically on login. Typically, there is nothing to start. Synchronization occurs automatically.

Acessing the SecretSync folder

The SecretSync folder is where you put your files that you want encrypted and synchronized. You may choose the folder destination during install, but by default it is installed under your home directory. You can access it by opening Finder and selecting your login name.

SecretSync Manager

The SecretSync configuration, and the log view are combined in the SecretSync Manager. This is installed in the Applications folder.

You can use the Manager to check whether SecretSync is running, and view recent synchronization changes.

You can also stop or start the SecretSync service from the Manager above.

Upgrading SecretSync

To upgrade, you simply download the latest version available from our site and run the install. If it detects an existing installation, it will simply upgrade using the current settings.

Uninstalling SecretSync

To remove SecretSync from your system, please refer to the Uninstall SecretSync on OS X article on our forum.

Alternatively, you may use this guide to remove SecretSync manually, i.e. in the event a problem.

Linux

Running SecretSync

In our current installation (for Ubuntu and Debian-based systems) SecretSync runs strictly as a background service. This means that it runs silently in the background and performs the encryption and synchronization functions.

It installs as a Startup Application (System - Preferences - Startup Applications), so when you log in it automatically starts and begins synchronizing your files.

It uses a control file /usr/bin/secretsync to stop and start the service, and launch the log viewer. On Ubuntu systems, you may also access the SecretSync Log from the Applications menu.

To use the secretsync control file, simply open an Terminal window. In the Terminal, if you type

secretsync

by itself on the command-line, the SecretSync process will start, but only if it is not already running. If you type

secretsync start

any existing SecretSync process will be stopped, and a new process will be started. If you type

secretsync stop

any existing SecretSync process will be stopped. Finally, if you type

secretsync log

the SecretSync Log application will launch. This allows you to view the most recent changes SecretSync has performed.

Upgrading SecretSync

SecretSync is upgraded by vising http://getsecretsync.com and downloading the latest installation package.

However, this only installs the control file and supporting files. Each user must then do the following to finish upgrading their installation of SecretSync:

Open a Terminal window, and type

secretsync upgrade

This will download the latest changes for SecretSync, and begin the upgrade process to the users local directory.

After the upgrade has compeleted, type

secretsync

to restart SecretSync.