Don't rely on ".cryptomator" extension when checking for valid vault directories

[ghost]

It is not just enough to have the master key and other files and folders within it?

[overheadhunter]

On OS X it is a registered bundle type, i.e. it appears to be a "file", even though its a folder. This is just a convenience thing, not a technical necessity ;-)

[ghost]

Yes, but if I remove the ".cryptomator" extension e.g. on Windows it doesn't recognize my vault. Do you confirm this behavior?

[overheadhunter]

Yes, the extension is intended to guarantee seamless cross-platform syncing. As said before it is not a technical necessity in order to open a vault (as long as user doesn't mess up the structure of the directory's content), it is rather a convenience feature. If you check out the first few versions of Cryptomator, there was no vault extension.

[ghost]

Yea, but can we disable this?

[overheadhunter]

Whats the point?

[ghost]

I need on Windows and Mac a valut folder without ".cryptomator", just: "Folder". Is this possible now?

[overheadhunter]

How about this: It should be possible to open a vault regardless of its name, if its structure is intact. This allows people, who know what they are doing, to rename it to whatever they want.

However we will definitely keep the extension by default when creating new vaults, otherwise we get tons of questions by users, who don't understand why some vaults can be opened by doubleclicking and others don't.

[ghost]

Sorry @overheadhunter. I'm confused. I'm on Windows 8.1.

I create new fault ("MyVault") in a folder on Desktop ("Test folder").

Cryptomator cretaes for me a folder called "MyVault.cryptomator" in my "Test folder" on my Desktop.

Ok. Everything works.

Now I remove the ".cryptomator" extension from the folder "MyVault.cryptomator" and using Cryptomator I select the "+" button and then "Add exsisting vault", then I select the "masterkey.cryptomator" in my (renamed) folder "MyVault" on my "Test folder" on Desktop.

It doesn't work. Cryptomator doesn't add the vault to his list.

If I rename the folder in "MyVault.cryptomator" it works.

[overheadhunter]

It should be possible to open a vault regardless of its name, if its structure is intact

This was a suggestion, not a description of the current state ;)

[ghost]

Ah, ok. Thanks.

If it were possible, it would also be interesting to remove the file extension "masterkey.cryptomator". Thanks.

[overheadhunter]

As said before, the extension will stay by default, otherwise opening bundles is not possible on OS X and we'd get a flood of bug reports. If you want to remove it, you'd be free to do so explicitly as soon as we check the directory structure instead of directory extensions.