Category: JCrypTool

Only short time after releasing milestone 4a, we are already working on milestone 5. This version will be available sometime this summer (probably around August). It will be based on Eclipse 3.5, so we keep our promise to always update to the latest Eclipse version. Planning is not completed yet; we are still looking for new cool and yet missing features. What will be included is a command line tool. This interface gives you the possibility to access any cryptographic operation (as long as the plug-in supports it) via a console in JCrypTool (like the console in the IDE for example) or via the command line of your operating system without launching JCrypTool (we haven't decided that yet, what is your opinion?). So that's a feature interesting for power users who just want to encrypt or sign a file as fast as possible. Another important thing will be an Action View, which will keep track of your crypto operations (cascades). So it's like a macro recorder, including the possibility to save, open, export and import those files. In its final version the cascade will be editable too.

And of course there will be more documentation, I promise! Not only for end users, but for developers too. This includes cheat sheets and tutorials for complete JCrypTool beginners. I know there is a gap at the moment. And documentation has been on our to-do list for quite a while now. We know it is important (for every project, but for an e-learning software even more), but it is a lot of work too. And developing new features is much more fun…

You are invited to propose new features and improvements. Or even better, you can develop them yourself and extend JCrypTool the way you like. Do not hesitate to contact me with ideas, bug reports or feature requests. Or use our home page for other contact options.

We released JCrypTool 1.0.0 Milestone 4a today! This is a maintenance release especially for Milestone 4, which was released a couple of weeks ago. Since Milestone 4 contained a lot of bugs and other inconsistencies we decided to release a refreshed version. As a bonus this version is based on the Eclipse spring maintenance release (3.4.2) that has been published a couple of days ago.

Milestone 4 users should update their installation by downloading the new version or by using the update manager (search for updates). Users of older versions should directly update to Milestone 4a and skip any previously released version.

JCrypTool 1.0.0 Milestone 4 is available! Only three months after milestone 3 an even better version is available. You can download the new release from our project site at http://sourceforge.net/projects/jcryptool or you can use the integrated update manager in milestone 3. Do not search for updates but for new extensions and install the offered new features (we don't know yet why the updates are not working, but we will figure it out).

Besides some overall bug fixing and different improvements the main changes took place in the File Explorer View and the Algorithms View. The File Explorer View offers some nice context menu actions, which, besides different file operations, enable you to apply crypto algorithms on a file without actually opening it. The Algorithms View is now the real center of all cryptographic operations in JCrypTool. By default, this view is shown as a palette with four different tabs at the bottom. You can switch back to the old tree layout (but the palette is much cooler). The four tabs – Algorithms, Analysis, Games and Visualizations – now contain all installed crypto plug-ins. A double click on an entry launches the wizard or opens the view. On each tab, different categories, like classic or modern are available.

Developers who extend the Algorithms Extension Point now can create their own crypto category by providing the name in their plug-in. So a new category like super modern algorithm (please don't use that) now will show up on the algorithms tab.

As before, JCrypTool 1.0.0 Milestone 4 is available for Linux, Mac and Windows and requires Java 1.5. And we are still looking for people who like to develop crypto plug-ins or who like to share their crypto knowledge by writing documentation. Feel free to contact me.

JCrypTool is on the, yet, short list for the Best Open Source RCP Application (aka Eclipse Technology Awards). OK, we did this ourselves. We believe that we have created a great new form of e-learning, which not only enables you to learn all about cryptography, but to develop your own crypto plug-ins. So we took the chance to introduce JCrypTool to a broader audience. Hope for the best, I know that there are other cool Open Source RCP Applications out there. Since I will attend EclipseCon 2009 I will be one of the first to get to know our position.

We updated JCrypTool Analysis Plug-ins to version 0.3.1 (a refreshed milestone 3 version) today. This update is only available via our Eclipse Update Site at http://www.cryptool.org/jcryptool/update, and not as a bundle download. Simply launch JCrypTool 1.0 Milestone 3 (only this version is supported), call Help – Software Updates – Check for Updates (or for the Germans: Hilfe – Software Updates – Auf Updates überprüfen). Install what is offered: the Dependencies Feature version 0.3.1 is available too. You MUST install both features since we had a nice bug in the shipped Dependencies Feature 0.3.0, which makes it impossible to install new features…

This update fixes some major bugs in all Analysis Plug-ins; installation is recommended. The next official release will be milestone 4, release date is sometime in March 2009.