TrueCrypt Installation Script (Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid and above)

This page provides a bash script for an easier TrueCrypt installation on Ubuntu Linux. See the main article for details.

Simply open a terminal and run the following command to download start it (copy and paste recommended):

wget "http://readm3.org/_export/code/app/truecrypt/truecrypt-install.sh?codeblock=1" -O "/tmp/truecrypt-install.sh" && chmod a+rx "/tmp/truecrypt-install.sh" && sudo "/tmp/truecrypt-install.sh"

What the script does:

1. Uninstalls eventually existing older TrueCrypt versions to prevent problems (your TrueCrypt settings will be preserved)
2. Downloads the newest TrueCrypt version fitting your architecture (32bit/64bit) into a temporary directory (including cleanup after installation is done)
3. Starts the installation wizard
4. Optionally modifies the /etc/sudoers file for your user account, making it possible to (un)mount TrueCrypt volumes and devices without the need to type your sudo password. The scripts asks you if you want to do so.

truecrypt-install.sh

#!/bin/bash
 
################################################################################
# TrueCrypt Installer for Ubuntu Linux
#
# Tested on and designed for:
# - Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid (32bit and 64bit), TrueCrypt 7.0a
# - Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick (32bit and 64bit), TrueCrypt 7.0a
#
# Newer Ubuntu and/or TrueCrypt releases may not work out of the box. Please
# check for an update of this script when a new version of Ubuntu and/or
# TrueCrypt is released: <http://readm3.org/app/truecrypt/truecrypt-install.sh>
#
# Usage:
# 1) Call this script with SUPERUSER privileges (->sudo)
# 2) If something fails, correct the thing which prevents the succesful
#    execution and call it again. This script is designed in a way that
#    re-calling it should be no problem.
#
#
# LICENSE: This file is open source software (OSS) and may be copied under
#          certain conditions. See the links below for details or try to contact
#          the author(s) of this file in doubt.
#
# @author Andreas Haerter <andreas.haerter@dev.mail-node.com>
# @copyright 2010, Andreas Haerter
# @license GPLv2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl2.html)
# @license New/3-clause BSD (http://opensource.org/licenses/bsd-license.php)
# @link http://readm3.org/app/truecrypt/truecrypt-install.sh
# @link http://readm3.org/app/truecrypt/
# @link http://andreas-haerter.com
# @version 2010-09-06
################################################################################
 
 
################################################################################
# Configuration
################################################################################
TC_VER="7.0a"
 
 
 
################################################################################
# DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING BEHIND THIS POINT WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT YOU ARE DOING!
################################################################################
 
 
 
################################################################################
# Process
################################################################################
#change working dir to the current parent dir
cd $(dirname ${0})
 
#welcome user
clear
echo "###############################################################################"
echo "# TrueCrypt ${TC_VER} installer/updater for Ubuntu Linux"
echo "# Found Ubuntu: $(lsb_release -rs) $(lsb_release -cs)"
echo "#"
echo "# Notes: - working internet connection is mandatory!"
echo "#        - eventually existing, older version of TrueCrypt will be removed"
echo "#          automatically to prevent problems."
echo "###############################################################################"
 
#check: are we root (=script called with sudo)?
if [ $(id -u) -ne 0 ]
then
	echo ""
	echo "Superuser privileges needed. Please call this script using 'sudo'." 1>&2
	exit 1
fi
echo -n "Would you like to install TrueCrypt ${TC_VER} now? [y|n]: "
read INPUT
if [ "${INPUT}" == "y" ] ||
   [ "${INPUT}" == "Y" ] ||
   [ "${INPUT}" == "j" ] || #German keyboard
   [ "${INPUT}" == "J" ]
then
	#remove existing, old versions
	TC_UNINSTALL="/usr/bin/truecrypt-uninstall.sh"
	if [ -f "${TC_UNINSTALL}" ] #check if file is existing
	then
		echo -e "\nExisting TrueCrypt found, executing '${TC_UNINSTALL}' to remove it.\n"
		${TC_UNINSTALL}
		if [ $? -ne 0 ]
		then
			echo "Could not remove existing TrueCrypt installation via '${TC_UNINSTALL}'. Please remove TrueCrypt manually and re-execute this script." 1>&2
			exit 1
		fi
		echo ""
	fi
	#define some stuff
	if [ "$(uname -m)" == "x86_64" ]
	then
		TC_DOWNLOADURL="http://www.truecrypt.org/download/truecrypt-${TC_VER}-linux-x64.tar.gz"
	else
		TC_DOWNLOADURL="http://www.truecrypt.org/download/truecrypt-${TC_VER}-linux-x86.tar.gz"
	fi
	TC_DOWNLOADLOCALPATH=$(mktemp -d "/tmp/truecrypt.XXXXXXXXXXXXX") #prevent symlink race condition...
	TC_DOWNLOADLOCALNAME="truecrypt.tar.gz"
	#download
	echo "Downloading... "
	mkdir -p ${TC_DOWNLOADLOCALPATH} > /dev/null 2>&1
	wget "${TC_DOWNLOADURL}" -O "${TC_DOWNLOADLOCALPATH}/${TC_DOWNLOADLOCALNAME}"
	if [ $? -ne 0 ]
	then
		echo -e "Download failed: '${TC_DOWNLOADURL}'\n\nPlease check if your internet connection is working and http://www.truecrypt.org is reachable." 1>&2
		exit 1
	fi
	#untar
	cd ${TC_DOWNLOADLOCALPATH}
	tar -xzvf "${TC_DOWNLOADLOCALPATH}/${TC_DOWNLOADLOCALNAME}"
	if [ $? -ne 0 ]
	then
		echo "untar failed: '${TC_DOWNLOADLOCALPATH}/${TC_DOWNLOADLOCALNAME}'" 1>&2
		exit 1
	fi
	#install
	echo ""
	echo "Please choose 'Install TrueCrypt' and follow instructions of the installer..."
	read -sp "Press [Enter] to continue."
	if [ "$(uname -m)" == "x86_64" ]
	then
		${TC_DOWNLOADLOCALPATH}/truecrypt-${TC_VER}-setup-x64
	else
		${TC_DOWNLOADLOCALPATH}/truecrypt-${TC_VER}-setup-x86
	fi
	if [ $? -ne 0 ]
	then
		echo -e "\n\nTrueCrypt installer exits reporting an error!\n\nIf you aborted the installation program accidentally, simply restart the script." 1>&2
		exit 1
	fi
	echo ""
	echo "Installation of TrueCrypt should be done."
	echo ""
	sleep 1
	#/etc/sudoers
	echo ""
	echo ""
	echo "If you enter your username, a \"tcusers\" group and an proper entry"
	echo "within '/etc/sudoers'will be created."
	echo ""
	echo "Advantage: members of the \"tcusers\" group will not be asked for a"
	echo "sudo pwd when mounting TC volumes. If you do not type/press anything"
	echo "but ENTER, nothing will be touched."
	echo ""
	echo -n "Username to add to the \"tcusers\" group? "
	read TC_USERNAME
	TC_USERNAME_OK="n"
	while [ ! "${TC_USERNAME_OK}" == "y" ] &&
	      [ ! "${TC_USERNAME_OK}" == "Y" ] &&
	      [ ! "${TC_USERNAME_OK}" == "j" ] &&
	      [ ! "${TC_USERNAME_OK}" == "J" ]
	do
		if [ "${TC_USERNAME}" == "" ]
		then
			echo -e -n "You did NOT typed a username, '/etc/sudoers' won't be touched.\nIs this correct? [y|n]: "
			read TC_USERNAME_OK
		else
			echo -n "You typed '${TC_USERNAME}'. Is this correct? [y|n]: "
			read TC_USERNAME_OK
		fi
		if [ "${TC_USERNAME_OK}" == "y" ] ||
		   [ "${TC_USERNAME_OK}" == "Y" ] ||
		   [ "${TC_USERNAME_OK}" == "j" ] || #German keyboard
		   [ "${TC_USERNAME_OK}" == "J" ]
		then
			break 1
		else
			echo -n "Username to add to the \"tcusers\" group? "
			read TC_USERNAME
			continue 1
		fi
	done
	#modify /etc/sudoers
	if [ ! "${TC_USERNAME}" == "" ]
	then
		IFS_ORIG=${IFS} #copy original IFS (Internal Field Separator)
		IFS=$'\n'
		#check if the needed entry is alread existing
		TC_ENTRYALREADYSET="0"
		for TC_INTERIM in $(< "/etc/sudoers"); do
			if [ "${TC_INTERIM}" == "%tcusers ALL=(root) NOPASSWD:/usr/bin/truecrypt" ]
			then
				TC_ENTRYALREADYSET="1"
				break 1
			fi
		done
		IFS=${IFS_ORIG}
		if [ "${TC_ENTRYALREADYSET}" == "0" ]
		then
			echo -e "\n# Members of the tcusers group may run TrueCrypt without password\n%tcusers ALL=(root) NOPASSWD:/usr/bin/truecrypt\n" >> "/etc/sudoers"
		else
			echo -e "\nNothing to do: fitting 'etc/sudoers' entry is already existing, going on without modifying the file.\n\n"
		fi
		unset IFS_ORIG
		unset TC_INTERIM
		unset TC_ENTRYALREADYSET
		groupadd tcusers > /dev/null 2>&1 #groupadd returns an error if the group is already existing, therefore no error checking via [ $? -ne 0 ] :-(
		adduser "${TC_USERNAME}" tcusers
		if [ $? -ne 0 ]
		then
			echo "error: could not add '${TC_USERNAME}' to the tcusers group!" 1>&2
			exit 1
		fi
	fi
	#clean up
	rm --preserve-root -rf "${TC_DOWNLOADLOCALPATH}/"
	unset TC_VER
	unset TC_DOWNLOADURL
	unset TC_DOWNLOADLOCALPATH
	unset TC_DOWNLOADLOCALNAME
	unset TC_USERNAME
	unset TC_USERNAME_OK
	#finished
	echo ""
	echo ""
	echo "###############################################################################"
	echo "# SUCCESS! TrueCrypt installation was done."
	echo "###############################################################################"
fi
unset INPUT
exit 0

The source code of the script is dual-licensed under GPLv2 and New/3-clause BSD.

• Main TrueCrypt article