[Users] Custom browser and access protection on Windows

[Iman]

On Tue, 2 Jun 2020 10:48:14 +0600
Dustin Miller <dustbiz at gmail.com> wrote:

> DM: I haven't done much with links, but it sounds like a reasonable
> alternative if it's working for you.

This could be a handy tutorial for windows users if interested in:
https://www.howtogeek.com/howto/16226/complete-guide-to-symbolic-links-symlinks-on-windows-or-linux/

> DM: That is what I would expect, since it's likely the system wouldn't
> be able to find whatever the link is pointing to. If you ever want to
> find out more specifics on this, it's likely that running CM from the
> command-line with the '--debug' option would give you some output even
> if CM doesn't start. This was helpful for me once in figuring out that
> CM wouldn't start because it was trying to access an old defunct path
> for a configuration directory I had used previously.

Yes, but first I was expected that it will automatically remove that
link and will do its work. but I found out that I should remove it
manually. I tested it with --debug option, found the result in %tmp%
folder. which was saying:

claws.c:102:Starting Claws Mail version Claws Mail 3.17.4
main.c:795:runtime GTK+ 2.24.32 / GLib 2.56.4
main.c:803:buildtime GTK+ 2.24.32 / GLib 2.56.4
main.c:812:Compiled-in features:
main.c:823: Enchant
main.c:829: GnuTLS
main.c:835: IPv6
main.c:841: iconv
main.c:853: LDAP
main.c:859: libetpan 1.7
utils.c:1711:using default rc_dir Claws-mail_folder
* prefs_gtk.c:986:new file 'Claws-mail_folder\clawsrc'
* prefs_gtk.c:931:cache: Claws-mail_folder\clawsrc: No such file or
directory
* prefs_gtk.c:1024:destroying cache
current dir: AppData_folder\Roaming
AppData_folder\Roaming\Claws-mail\clawsrc:
AppData_folder\Roaming\Claws-mail: 

Seems that creating clawsrc fails in the first place (where I marked
with *) and then obviously it cannot access it.

> > If I want everything appear normal, I need to remove that link after
> > closing claws mail and restore previous claws mail folder.
> > 
> > All of these lead me to 2 batch files, one to to start claws mail
> > (and its dependencies!) and another to close them.
> > 
> > in the following code, big "V" is the drive letter I chose to
> > Veracrypt mount into it.
> > 
> > ===========
> > file "start.bat"
> > ===========
> > 
> > cd VeraCrypt_folder
> > VeraCrypt.exe /v "path_to_Veracrypt_file" /l V /b /p "password" /q
> > /s /m rm
> > ren %appdata%\Claws-mail Claws-mail-old
> > mklink /J %appdata%\Claws-mail V:\Claws-mail
> > start "" "D:\Program Files\ClawsMail\claws-mail.exe"
> > 
> > ===========
> > file "end.bat"
> > ===========
> > 
> > taskkill /f /im claws-mail.exe
> > cd VeraCrypt_folder
> > VeraCrypt.exe /dismount /q /s
> > rd %appdata%\Claws-mail
> > ren %appdata%\Claws-mail-old Claws-mail
> > 
> > and till now it seems to work without problem :D
> >   
> DM: Sounds good. I don't know a lot about batch files, but if I'm
> understanding your process right, it looks like your first batch file
> allows you to access an encrypted version of CM, but then your second
> batch file will only give you access to an unencrypted version of CM,
> presumably at the default locations. (BTW, nothing inside a Veracrypt
> file container can be accessed unless it's mounted, and when it is
> mounted, all the data inside of it is still encrypted.)
>
> DM: So does that mean that you sometimes want to use an encrypted
> version and sometimes an unencrypted one, but of the same set of
> emails and settings? If so, then it seems like you still need to find
> a way to automate the copying of data back and forth so that any
> changes you make (new messages; deleted messages, changed settings,
> etc.) will be synced. But perhaps I'm misunderstanding your goals and
> your solution. Anyway, if you're able to get it to do what you need
> it to do, that's the main thing. :) ---Dustin

Actually end.bath closes my mailboxes and hide it from other users of
this PC. So anyone who opens the CM (it's installed on a single user
account) wouldn't have access to my mailboxes. 

Of course I can remove mailto association from the Resgistry on
Windows, but yet someone can simply open CM and he would be among my
personal emails unintentionally :)

So I remove the link, rename back the previously renamed folder of
Claws-mail (if it was exsisted) and every thing would be normal. 
I won't use claws mail now, but using my start.bat to rename current
claws-mail folder, create a link to my encrypted version of CM data,
and then open the CM. That's it :)