Poll: Are you using the FileVault feature in Mac OS X 10.3 (Panther)?

[MacRumors]

Vote: Poll: Are you using the FileVault feature in Mac OS X 10.3 (Panther)? (http://www.macpolls.com/?poll_id=321)

[MasterMac]

No, not yet anyway. I'm no a laptop (with Panther ;)) but I sofar don't have any need for FV right now (and I'm a bit thankfull for that as well after reading about the initial problems with it :p)

[Awimoway]

I still don't trust it not to destroy my files.

[redAPPLE]

same here, don't trust it yet. did Apple address this issue yet?

[aethier]

I got panther when it was released, used firevault and it ruined all my permissions etc. so now even after the update, i think i willl wait a little longer before i turn it back on.

aethier

[stefman]

Don't trust it yet (and might never).

Added security is nice, but a system running well is nicer.

[punter]

i trust it, but don't have anything worth FVing.

I have complete backups of everything, so I wouldn't cry if it blew up on me.

[MasterMac]

Originally posted by redAPPLE
same here, don't trust it yet. did Apple address this issue yet? From what I've read about the 10.3.1 update, yes they have.

[Awimoway]

Originally posted by MasterMac
From what I've read about the 10.3.1 update, yes they have.

Maybe later someone will post and tell us how it's working out for them in 10.3.1.

[KLFloyd]

I'd like to use File Valut, but again...I too just don't trust it yet either.

I never have been able to get much information on what exactelly File Vault did. Could the users who have had problems with it in the past please report on their experiences?

I use Carbon Copy Clone to make complete backup of my computer twice a week. If I had file vault turned on I'm assuming my cloned drive would suffer the same issues.

I'll probably load it after a few more updates to the OS. Maybe 10.3.3

[Bear]

This Poll needed more selections.. like both laptop and desktop and FV on either or both or none.

I have both and use FV on neither.

[ITR 81]

Using FV with no problems at all.

[Turias]

I've been using FV on Panther since day 1. I'm still too scared to "Save unused Disk space" when I turn the machine off, though...

[ntg]

I needed to test it for our network users, so I have used it as follows:

Installed Panther as update, switched on FV
- lasted about four days before prefs, then data, then machine died

Clean install, no FV - no problems

Apple 10.3.1 update, so switch FV on again - yesterday, my prefs started going screwy so I turned it off - no problems since.

Also, this last time, I did NOT use that oh-so-helpful clean-up offer that FV shows before reboot, and it STILL screwed up!!

Be VERY CAREFUL if you need to use FV.

I am NOT going to until Apple says they have fixed it again, at which point I'll be a guinea-pig again.

Great life, huh!

Nig.

[pgwalsh]

I'll use it when I get Panther....

[wdlove]

I don't have Panther installed. Not really sure what File vault is about.

Found out yesterday that if I want to switch to Verizon DSL, would be forced to have Panther. The lower monthly price makes it very tempting.

[cnladd]

I began using FileVault on my iBook since day one. After some time I began to have the permissions error. About that same time I ended up buying a larger hard drive for the iBook, so it was the perfect opportunity to rebuild my system anew.

By the time that was finished, the 10.3.1 update was out (with the FileVault fixes.) Since I keep backups of everything, I opted to run with FileVault again. I haven't had any other problems so far--it's run smoothly, just like it's supposed to.

The only issue is performance. I have a little over 5GB of data that I must be able to use FileVault for. The slight performance hit for using FileVault is well worth the added protection. I've been forced to do a bit in the way of funky symbolic links, however, to keep large amounts of data from being encrypted (30GB of music, for example.)

[gopher]

I don't use FileVault because of the possibility that my data may become totally inaccessible if for some reason my password were lost. At least with an open firmware password I have to have physical access to the internal componants of the computer and if I need to recover my data I can move my drive to another computer. Of course the system password can always be bypassed by a boot CD that supports the Mac OS X my computer supports if I just use the system password.

[Nermal]

Originally posted by wdlove
I don't have Panther installed. Not really sure what File vault is about.

Found out yesterday that if I want to switch to Verizon DSL, would be forced to have Panther. The lower monthly price makes it very tempting.

Really? Granted I know nothing about how the system works over there, but DSL should be OS-independent. Just make sure you buy a Mac-compatible modem (preferably one that plugs in via Ethernet).

[Rower_CPU]

I haven't re-enabled it yet on my laptop. It was working fine, but I didn't want to take the chance.

[eyelikeart]

I'm coming close to wiping my TiBook & starting fresh with 10.3, so I may be using it at that point. ;)

[Raid]

I use it on both my desktop and laptop. (I guess I'm paranoid) :cool: I did notice that my address book on my Ti laptop didn't function right at first... but I'm not sure if it was deleted. The story is I was copying my address book files from my desktop over to my laptop to get it working again. While I couldn't see any files in the Tibook's library folder, it asked me if I wanted to replace the existing file with the same name... it got me thinking that maybe the files were just invisible, and the app wasn't able to read them...

After I've updated Panther I haven't had a problem with FileVault yet. The only problem I have is with mail (and I don't know if it's related) but I'm having trouble sending emails out. I've noticed that the only ones that were sent our are to people I have in my address book... it could be my SMTP server, but it's a theroy I'm going to check out the next time I can sit at my home computer.

[nagromme]

I said Desktop, but I have FileVault on both my eMac and my old Lombard--which doesn't even show a performance hit that I can detect.

No problems on either Mac, even BEFORE Panther was updated to 10.3.1. I use Mail and Address Book and all that. One system was an erase-and-install, one was a dirty upgrade.

In principle, I'm a little alarmed at all my files becoming ONE file. What happens if a part of that file is damaged? Do I lose everything? The same HD error would be less serious without FileVault. Or at least, that's what I worry about. Anyone know?

[gopher]

Originally posted by wdlove
I don't have Panther installed. Not really sure what File vault is about.

Found out yesterday that if I want to switch to Verizon DSL, would be forced to have Panther. The lower monthly price makes it very tempting.
Verizon DSL though frequently requires using PPPoE which is more compatible with Mac OS X than Mac OS 9, but not impossible. In Washington DC Verizon even provides PPPoE compatible dialer for Mac OS 8.1 or higher. PPPoE though is built-in to all versions of Mac OS X, and can be enabled through an ethernet router or airport base station even if your Mac doesn't have built-in PPPoE support. DHCP based DSL is ideal and doesn't require PPPoE at all and any Mac with Mac OS 8.1 or higher can connect to DHCP with built-in software. A few DSL providers use a 56k modem for uploads and an ethernet modem for downloads which you can use http://www.sustworks.com/site/prod_ipr_overview.html IP Netrouter on for Mac OS 8.1 through 9.2.2 to connect to. Thus really the asumption that Panther is required for any kind of DSL is false.

[tny]

No, but I've got an encrypted disk image created with Disk Utility.

[scem0]

No.

Im on windows :(.

scem0

[gopher]

For those still on Windows, look at what great prices used and refurbished Macs are available at here:

http://www.macmaps.com/usedrefurbished.html

[Anonymous Freak]

Originally posted by tny
No, but I've got an encrypted disk image created with Disk Utility.

File Vault works pretty much the same way. It takes your home directory, puts it into a single file, and compresses and encrypts it.

I waited for the 10.3.1 update before getting Panther, and did a format and reinstall (followed by selectively restoring individual application's data and settings.) I still have a carbon copy of my Jaguar install on an external hard drive. I figure I'll see what Panther does in the next month, and then delete the backup.

I've got an original 12" PowerBook, and I do keep some private data on it (my business' finances and client list.) In addition to private data, I also have 10GB of music, and 2.5GB of pictures. (I kept the 20GB of raw DV files on the external HD.)

I let FV do its cleanup whenever I log out. (Which has been very rarely.) I also have Journaling on, and I make DVD-R backups of my entire home directory (sans music and photos,) once a week, with more frequent backups of business data.

[cnladd]

Originally posted by ehurtley
File Vault works pretty much the same way. It takes your home directory, puts it into a single file, and compresses and encrypts it.

The file that's created isn't compressed; that would add too much overhead. Instead, Apple uses a sparse image sized for the total space available on the disk to allow for growth.

Something I haven't had an opportunity to test is how sparse files are handled while within the sparse image, or how badly two disk-munching processes running in the home directories of two FileVault-using users would stomp on each other.

Anyone care to experiment? (I would, but my iBook's out of commission for right now--I'm writing this on a different OS.) :-(

[asgardn1]

Haven't tried it yet because I don't even use the user accounts to store my files. If you could set it to any documents folder connected to your Mac, then I'd use it all the time.