rclone crypt: encrypt files client-side before they touch any cloud

If you want files encrypted before they ever reach a cloud provider — so the provider only ever sees ciphertext — rclone crypt is the simplest tool that works with almost any backend (S3, Google Drive, Dropbox, pCloud, Backblaze B2, a plain SFTP box…). This is client-side, zero-knowledge-style encryption you fully control. Here's a clean setup. The idea rclone crypt is a wrapper remote : it sits on top of a normal remote and transparently encrypts file contents and file/dir names on the way up, decrypts on the way down. Your passphrase never leaves your machine. local files -> [crypt remote: encrypt] -> [storage remote] -> cloud (sees ciphertext only) 1. Install curl https://rclone.org/install.sh | sudo bash # or: sudo apt install rclone rclone version 2. Configure the underlying storage remote rclone config # n) New remote -> name it e.g. "drive" -> pick your provider -> OAuth/keys Test it: rclone lsd drive: 3. Add a crypt remote on top rclone config # n) New remote -> name "secret" -> storage: "crypt" # remote> drive:encrypted # a subfolder on the storage remote # filename_encryption> standard # also encrypts file names # directory_name_encryption> true # password> (generate a strong one) # password2> (salt - optional but recommended) Back up the passphrase + salt in a password manager. There is no recovery if you lose them — that's the whole point of zero-knowledge. 4. Use it # Upload (everything is encrypted client-side first): rclone copy ~/Documents secret: -P # List (decrypted view, local only): rclone ls secret: # Mount as a normal folder: rclone mount secret: ~/CloudCrypt --vfs-cache-mode writes On the provider's side you'll see only opaque names like a1b2c3d4... — no filenames, no content. 5. Verify the provider sees nothing rclone ls drive:encrypted # raw view = encrypted blobs + scrambled names If you can read filenames here, filename encryption isn't on — recheck step 3. Gotchas crypt encrypts content + names, not the number of files or their sizes. A m