This simple tutorial shows how to install VeraCrypt and create encrypted hard drive, USB stick in Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 18.04, Linux Mint 20, Ubuntu 20.10.

VeraCrypt is a free and open-source disk encryption software based on TrueCrypt 7.1a. It works on Linux, Windows, and Mac OS.

With VeraCrypt, you can:

• Creates a virtual encrypted disk within a file and mounts it as a real disk.
• Encrypts an entire partition or storage device such as USB flash drive or hard drive.
• Encrypts a partition or drive where Windows is installed.

How to Install VeraCrypt in Ubuntu via PPA:

The software offers official 64-bit .deb binaries for all current Ubuntu releases.

For arm64, armhf, ppc64el packages, there’s an unofficial PPA maintained by the administrator of “XUbuntu Developers” team.

1.) To add the PPA, open terminal from system application launcher and run command:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:unit193/encryption

2.) Then refresh system package cache and install the encryption software via commands:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install veracrypt

How to Create an Encrypted Disk via VeraCrypt:

Once installed the software, open it from system application launcher. Then click on the “Create Volume” button to start creating an encrypted disk.

Then either select “Create an encrypted file container” for a virtual encrypted disk within a file, or “Create a volume within a partition/drive” to encrypt non-system partition, external hard drive, or entire USB stick.

Then follow the setup wizard to choose volume type, encryption algorithm, volume password, file system type, and finally click “Format”.

When everything’s done, mount the volume and you’ll be able to access it via Nautilus file browser.

For more, read the official Documentation.

Uninstall:

To remove VeraCrypt, simply run command in terminal:

sudo apt remove --autoremove veracrypt

To remove the Ubuntu PPA, run command:

sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:unit193/encryption