---
name: "amcrypt-ossl"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "amanda-common"
version: "1:3.5.4-2"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/amcrypt-ossl"
---

# amcrypt-ossl(8)

crypt program for Amanda symmetric data encryption using OpenSSL

## NAME

amcrypt-ossl - crypt program for Amanda symmetric data encryption using OpenSSL

## SYNOPSIS

**amcrypt-ossl** \[-d\]

## DESCRIPTION

**amcrypt-ossl** uses **OpenSSL** to encrypt and decrypt data. OpenSSL is available from www.openssl.org. OpenSSL offers a wide variety of cipher choices ( **amcrypt-ossl** defaults to 256-bit AES) and can use hardware cryptographic accelerators on several platforms.

**amcrypt-ossl** will search for the OpenSSL program in the following directories: /bin:/usr/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/ssl/bin:/usr/local/ssl/bin.

## PASSPHRASE MANAGEMENT

**amcrypt-ossl** uses the same pass phrase to encrypt and decrypt data. It is very important to store and protect the pass phrase properly. Encrypted backup data can **only** be recovered with the correct passphrase.

OpenSSL's key derivation routines use a salt to guard against dictionary attacks on the pass phrase; still it is important to pick a pass phrase that is hard to guess. The Diceware method (see www.diceware.com) can be used to create passphrases that are difficult to guess and easy to remember.

## FILES

/var/lib/amanda/.am\_passphrase

File containing the pass phrase. It should not be readable by any user other than the Amanda user.

## SEE ALSO

[**amanda**(8)](/amanda/8.md), [**amanda.conf**(5)](/amanda.conf/5.md), [**openssl**(1)](/openssl/1.md), [**amcrypt-ossl-asym**(8)](/amcrypt-ossl-asym/8.md)

The Amanda Wiki: : http://wiki.zmanda.com/

## AUTHOR

**Kevin Till** \<kevin.till@zmanda.com\>

Zmanda, Inc. (http://www.zmanda.com)

## NOTES

- 1\.

  www.openssl.org

  http://www.openssl.org/

- 2\.

  www.diceware.com

  http://www.diceware.com/