---
publish: true
permalink: /10-19 LIFE/13 TECH SETUP/13.11 APPS/VeraCrypt.md
title: VeraCrypt
created: 2026-01-29T14:04:18.863-07:00
modified: 2026-02-05T09:11:56.232-07:00
tags:
  - encryption
  - security
  - backup
cssclasses: ""
---

VeraCrypt is free open-source disk encryption software. I use it predominantly for encrypting data on portable devices (see [[10-19 LIFE/13 TECH SETUP/13.12 PROCESSES/Backups]] for more details).

## Installation

**Arch Linux:**
```bash
sudo pacman -S veracrypt
```

**Other distributions:**
Download from https://veracrypt.io/en/Downloads.html

## Usage

### Create an encrypted volume
```bash
veracrypt -c
```
Follow the interactive prompts to:
1. Choose volume type (normal or hidden)
2. Select volume location (file or device)
3. Pick encryption algorithm (AES recommended)
4. Set volume size
5. Create password

### Mount a volume
```bash
# Mount to /mnt/veracrypt1 (default slot 1)
veracrypt /path/to/volume /mnt/veracrypt1

# Mount with specific slot
veracrypt --slot=2 /path/to/volume /mnt/veracrypt2
```

### Dismount
```bash
# Dismount specific volume
veracrypt -d /mnt/veracrypt1

# Dismount all
veracrypt -d
```

## Common Options

| Option | Description |
|--------|-------------|
| `-c` | Create new volume |
| `-d` | Dismount |
| `--slot=N` | Use slot N (1-64) |
| `-t` | Text mode (no GUI) |
| `--non-interactive` | For scripts |
| `-p PASSWORD` | Provide password (insecure, avoid) |

## Portable Drive Setup

For encrypted USB drives:
1. Create a file-hosted volume on the drive
2. Copy the portable VeraCrypt binary to the drive
3. Now usable on any machine without installation

## Tips

- Use keyfiles for additional security (combine with password)
- For full disk encryption on Linux, consider LUKS instead
- Hidden volumes provide plausible deniability
- Always safely eject before removing portable drives