[TriLUG] Re: USB keychains and private keys

[Ken Mink]

I know someone else already mentioned it, but I use a 128MB drive and 
partitioned it into 2 partitions. The first is a vfat for use with 
windows and the second is ext3. I store my key on the second partition. 
The drive will show up as a SCSI drive, most likely /dev/sda. Backup 
everything currently on it, then run 'fdisk /dev/sda' and repartition. 
Works like a champ.

This method has the added benefit of a little security through 
obscurity. If someone gets their hands on the drive, they'll most 
likely stick it in a windows machine and they'll never see the second 
partition. Please notice I said a LITTLE security, it is very little.

Ken

> On Thu, Jul 15, 2004 at 03:57:39AM -0700, Joseph Mack NA3T wrote:
>> I was thinking of getting a USB keychain flashcard to store (among 
>> other
>> things) my private key(s). However ssh requires that your private key 
>> be
>> 400. I assume the USB keychains are vfat, in which case you can only 
>> set
>> the permissions to 444, and ssh won't accep the private key (tested 
>> on a
>> vfat floppy).
>>
>> Presumably I could put an ext3 file system on there, but then I won't 
>> be
>> able to use the device to transfer files to a windows machine (which
>> admittedly I don't do a whole lot, but would be useful to be able to 
>> do).
>>
>> I understand that you're not supposed to reformat these devices a 
>> whole
>> lot, and that you should use cramfs if you're going to reformat them.
>>
>> Do people store their private keys on these USB keychains?
>>
>> Can someone straighten me out?
>>
>> Thanks Joe
>>
>> -- 
>> Joseph Mack NA3T EME(B,D), FM05lw North Carolina
>> jmack (at) wm7d (dot) net - azimuthal equidistant map
>> generator at http://www.wm7d.net/azproj.shtml
>> Homepage http://www.austintek.com/ It's GNU/Linux!
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>
> -- 
> Nathan J. Conrad
> Chapel Hill, NC, USA                 http://bungled.net
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