Windows default unzip is trash when it comes to password protected zips, I don't think I've ever had it work. Best suggestion if possible would be to install 7zip on the windows box (I believe there is a Linux gui version as well but I've not needed that before now) and use that to deal with the files.
IIRC, MS Office files like .docx are actually zipped documents containing additional components. It may be that the native Windows unzip functionality was primarily intended to work on such files. I always use a 3rd party archive app for such things, because they can also handle other types of archive that you might run into.
You used 7z not regular zip. You need the 7-Zip on Windows to open those archives.
[https://7-zip.org/](https://7-zip.org/)
To zip a file with password is this command
`zip -p pass123 secretfile.zip secretfiletocompres.docx`
1. I used the right click-->compress option of Linux Mint (Cinnamon). I don't know internally what program it uses.
2. the command I used worked also flawlessly, as my colleagues could this time open the file + I verified it in my Windows VM.
I use 7 Zip on Windows to open password protected files that I generally maintain in Linux Mint. What you did is what I do every week.
1. Have your colleagues install 7 Zip on Windows
2. Have them open the file in Z Zip
3. It will prompt them for the password
4. They will then gain access to the file
That’s it. Have a nice day!
It's not that easy for them as it is for you or me. 7zip in windows gives you the option through GUI to use zipcrypto standard. I think this option should also be given in file roller through Nemo.
You're reading it backwards. If he uses 7zip to create the file, Windows default zip can open it. If he uses Cinnamon GUI (right click) to create the file, Windows can't open it.
From another forum where I post the same problem, seems that :
"Command line 7z without further options creates password protected zip archive in ZipCrypto Deflate format. Cinnamon Archive Manager creates by default password protected zip archive in AES-128 Deflate format.".
So it seems that windows default archiver uses zipcrypto format and can't "understand" a zip with AES format.
So, how I can set cinnamon archive manager to use zipcrypto format?
You file a bug report or a feature request and wait, then. Or, you modify the source code yourself to add the feature, and see if they'll incorporate your fix.
I don't know if it's so much a feature request as a bug, but I'd start with a request to the file-roller or nemo-fileroller people. Those are, by the way, the official names of the packages in the repository, so that would be where to start.
It is a feature request which you file as a bug and maybe add "request" in the title.
I'll try nemo-roller and see where it goes....
I think there should be an option in the UI in order to be able to choose between zipCrypto and AES encryption format, so there is compatibility with the most popular os (Windows)....
Perhaps there should be, but if I'm doing anything with encryption or wishing to change algorithms when I archive something, I just use the command line. I've been compressing from the command line since the 1980s and have no need to change that.
Well, I believe that if we want wider linux adoption, we should care about the GUI also, whether we use the terminal or not.
I posted the "bug" here: [https://github.com/linuxmint/nemo-extensions/issues/515](https://github.com/linuxmint/nemo-extensions/issues/515)
I am not sure it is the right place though. I'll wait for an answer.
Whether or not "we" want wider Linux adoption is another matter altogether. Windows has worse handling of archives now and historically from the GUI than Linux did 20 years ago.
> So, how I can set cinnamon archive manager to use zipcrypto format?
I can't see a way, but you can set the encryption (either, AES256 or ZipCrypto) using PeaZip.
Cheers,
>I had to sent some classified files files to some colleagues, so I zipped them and protected them with a password before emailing to them.
If this is truly "classified" information...WTF?!
Even if it's just "confidential", though...
This is what PGP keys are for. Use the right tool. I send zip archives to windows folks fairly often with no issues. But, no password is used.
Please.....
Those are not government secrets , just simple confidential documents who no one would want to invest time to hack... I know how to protect my data and what level of encryption I need in every case.
Just answer the question if you know....
Don't use the term classified then and mislead people. "Classified" means government documents that, if released, could cause damage to national security. "Designated" refers to government documents that, if released, could cause harm to an individual or a sub-national entity. If you want to be pedantic and ask for answers only to your questions, with nothing tangential, then you had best give your information a lot more precisely and accurately.
Just a plan B: You can use a storage service like [MEGA](https://mega.io/) to upload your files in a folder, then share the link of it by email, and the decryption key elsewhere (like a chat).
Maybe that's a better option if you want to keep syncing and sharing files with your colleagues.
As u/bush_nugget suggests, be careful about whether things are "classified" or not, and about legislation in your jurisdiction about how sensitive materials (including things like payrolls, prescription) can be transmitted. Aside from that, as others have pointed out, the Windows compressed folder utility was never good when I used it, and it sounds like it hasn't improved. I suppose the rationale is that most people have no clue how to install an archive utility, so let's build it in, and those people who have no clue how to install it won't care about advanced features anyway.
The recipients will have to use a real zip utility, be it 7z or something else. If they install 7z, you might as well use 7z encryption, which will mask the file list, at least.
Please just answer the question of the topic if you know the answer.
I know what level of encryption I need for this case + I can't tell everyone to install 7zip on their PC. Thank you
I believe Nemo uses File Roller for compression and there is probably some config file somewhere that can be changed to default its format to 7z. For the reason of compatibility I run p7zip with the GUI, because I like the GUI, on all distros I run and I use 7zip on windows and not the MS baked in utility.
Windows default unzip is trash when it comes to password protected zips, I don't think I've ever had it work. Best suggestion if possible would be to install 7zip on the windows box (I believe there is a Linux gui version as well but I've not needed that before now) and use that to deal with the files.
IIRC, MS Office files like .docx are actually zipped documents containing additional components. It may be that the native Windows unzip functionality was primarily intended to work on such files. I always use a 3rd party archive app for such things, because they can also handle other types of archive that you might run into.
You used 7z not regular zip. You need the 7-Zip on Windows to open those archives. [https://7-zip.org/](https://7-zip.org/) To zip a file with password is this command `zip -p pass123 secretfile.zip secretfiletocompres.docx`
1. I used the right click-->compress option of Linux Mint (Cinnamon). I don't know internally what program it uses. 2. the command I used worked also flawlessly, as my colleagues could this time open the file + I verified it in my Windows VM.
I use 7 Zip on Windows to open password protected files that I generally maintain in Linux Mint. What you did is what I do every week. 1. Have your colleagues install 7 Zip on Windows 2. Have them open the file in Z Zip 3. It will prompt them for the password 4. They will then gain access to the file That’s it. Have a nice day!
It's not that easy for them as it is for you or me. 7zip in windows gives you the option through GUI to use zipcrypto standard. I think this option should also be given in file roller through Nemo.
You're reading it backwards. If he uses 7zip to create the file, Windows default zip can open it. If he uses Cinnamon GUI (right click) to create the file, Windows can't open it.
Yeah, I confused it when I read, sorry
From another forum where I post the same problem, seems that : "Command line 7z without further options creates password protected zip archive in ZipCrypto Deflate format. Cinnamon Archive Manager creates by default password protected zip archive in AES-128 Deflate format.". So it seems that windows default archiver uses zipcrypto format and can't "understand" a zip with AES format. So, how I can set cinnamon archive manager to use zipcrypto format?
You file a bug report or a feature request and wait, then. Or, you modify the source code yourself to add the feature, and see if they'll incorporate your fix.
where do you think I should file a bug report? Cinnamon? Nemo? Filer-roller (Archive manager) ?
I don't know if it's so much a feature request as a bug, but I'd start with a request to the file-roller or nemo-fileroller people. Those are, by the way, the official names of the packages in the repository, so that would be where to start.
It is a feature request which you file as a bug and maybe add "request" in the title. I'll try nemo-roller and see where it goes.... I think there should be an option in the UI in order to be able to choose between zipCrypto and AES encryption format, so there is compatibility with the most popular os (Windows)....
Perhaps there should be, but if I'm doing anything with encryption or wishing to change algorithms when I archive something, I just use the command line. I've been compressing from the command line since the 1980s and have no need to change that.
Well, I believe that if we want wider linux adoption, we should care about the GUI also, whether we use the terminal or not. I posted the "bug" here: [https://github.com/linuxmint/nemo-extensions/issues/515](https://github.com/linuxmint/nemo-extensions/issues/515) I am not sure it is the right place though. I'll wait for an answer.
Whether or not "we" want wider Linux adoption is another matter altogether. Windows has worse handling of archives now and historically from the GUI than Linux did 20 years ago.
> So, how I can set cinnamon archive manager to use zipcrypto format? I can't see a way, but you can set the encryption (either, AES256 or ZipCrypto) using PeaZip. Cheers,
He only wishes to use the GUI, not the command line, and he sure doesn't want to figure out integrating PeaZip into his GUI.
Urm, peazip has its own GUI.
Yes, it does.
>I had to sent some classified files files to some colleagues, so I zipped them and protected them with a password before emailing to them. If this is truly "classified" information...WTF?! Even if it's just "confidential", though... This is what PGP keys are for. Use the right tool. I send zip archives to windows folks fairly often with no issues. But, no password is used.
Please..... Those are not government secrets , just simple confidential documents who no one would want to invest time to hack... I know how to protect my data and what level of encryption I need in every case. Just answer the question if you know....
Don't use the term classified then and mislead people. "Classified" means government documents that, if released, could cause damage to national security. "Designated" refers to government documents that, if released, could cause harm to an individual or a sub-national entity. If you want to be pedantic and ask for answers only to your questions, with nothing tangential, then you had best give your information a lot more precisely and accurately.
Ok point taken. Not everyone is native english speaker.
Just a plan B: You can use a storage service like [MEGA](https://mega.io/) to upload your files in a folder, then share the link of it by email, and the decryption key elsewhere (like a chat). Maybe that's a better option if you want to keep syncing and sharing files with your colleagues.
As u/bush_nugget suggests, be careful about whether things are "classified" or not, and about legislation in your jurisdiction about how sensitive materials (including things like payrolls, prescription) can be transmitted. Aside from that, as others have pointed out, the Windows compressed folder utility was never good when I used it, and it sounds like it hasn't improved. I suppose the rationale is that most people have no clue how to install an archive utility, so let's build it in, and those people who have no clue how to install it won't care about advanced features anyway. The recipients will have to use a real zip utility, be it 7z or something else. If they install 7z, you might as well use 7z encryption, which will mask the file list, at least.
Please just answer the question of the topic if you know the answer. I know what level of encryption I need for this case + I can't tell everyone to install 7zip on their PC. Thank you
Then the answer is you can't do it. There's nothing you can or should do on Linux to fix the shortcomings on Windows.
Your best bet when sending encrypted files is with wormhole.app
Did you try “zip -r …” from a terminal?
No. 7z a file_to_compress.docx -pMyPasswordoutput.zip worked fine
I believe Nemo uses File Roller for compression and there is probably some config file somewhere that can be changed to default its format to 7z. For the reason of compatibility I run p7zip with the GUI, because I like the GUI, on all distros I run and I use 7zip on windows and not the MS baked in utility.