Where Does CryFS Store Config and Vaults?
Where CryFS keeps its config file inside each encrypted folder, and how to back vaults up.
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CryFS stores its config beside the data it protects: a JSON file at the root of each basedir with cipher settings and block layout. Encrypted blocks fill the rest of the directory. Mounting needs the password plus that config.
Back up mounted contents or the unmounted basedir, never a live mount mid-write. Cloud sync of the basedir works because blocks are content addressed. Losing the password loses everything regardless of copies.
Where CryFS stores this, by platform
/path/to/vault/CRYFS.JSON
Config JSON at each vault basedir root with blocks beside it. There is no central store; every vault carries its own config. Back up unmounted only.
Frequently asked questions
How do I back up a CryFS vault?
Copy the whole basedir with the filesystem unmounted, including the config file at its root. Files plus config restore anywhere; files alone are unreadable noise. Keep the password separately from the copy.
Can I share the CryFS config file?
No. The config holds filesystem parameters, not your password, but losing it still complicates recovery. Keep versioned copies of the config with each backup. Password plus config plus files opens the vault.
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