Apple Silicon

Robert

Hi everybody,

With the availability of Apple Silicon hardware today, we are very excited to also provide a first experimental version of Boxcryptor with native support for Apple's new processor architecture for maximized performance and battery life. While this experimental version is available for early access, we plan to release a stable version by the end of November after we ironed out the last missing pieces and made sure that it runs smooth on the final Apple Silicon M1 chip.

If you are one of the first with Apple Silicon hardware, you can download the experimental--- version v2.38.1060 here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/k4rkgxgniyqveg9/Boxcryptor_v2.38.1060_Installer.dmg?dl=0

EDIT: The latest experimental version for Apple Silicon Macs can be downloaded here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/l13a4cb4sr0wx1p/Boxcryptor_v2.38.1067_Installer.dmg?dl=0

EDIT: The latest experimental version for Apple Silicon Macs can be downloaded here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/h993aosacn0bfro/Boxcryptor_v2.39.1101_Installer.dmg?dl=0

EDIT: The latest experimental version for Apple Silicon Macs can be downloaded here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/capkjj2zf1txcmq/Boxcryptor_v2.39.1110_Installer.dmg?dl=0

EDIT: The official version for Apple Silicon Macs can be downloaded here:
https://www.boxcryptor.com/l/download-macosx

In order to install the required Boxcryptor kernel extension, you must first allow the loading of kernel extensions from identified developers which is disallowed by default on Apple Silicon Macs. To change this, please follow these steps:

Reboot your Mac into Recovery Mode
Open Utilities -> Startup Security Utility
Select your system volume, unlock it if required and click the Security Policy... button
Choose Reduced Security
Enable Allow user management of kernel extensions from identified developers
Click OK
Confirm the action by entering your administrator credentials
Restart your Mac

You only need to perform these steps once for any kernel extension which might be part of other apps (e.g. Dropbox, Google Drive File Stream, etc.). Learn more about this change here:
https://developer.apple.com/documentation/kernel/installing_a_custom_kernel_extension

NOTE: Despite the dramatic name, your Mac is just as secure using Reduced Security as with Full Security. While Full Security only allows to install the very latest Apple approved version of macOS, Reduced Security also allows you to install older Apple approved versions of macOS and to load 3rd party kernel extensions from Apple identified developers.

HINT: Apple changed the procedure to boot into Recovery Mode on Apple Silicon Macs. Instead of pressing & holding Cmd+R after pressing the power button, you must press & hold the power button and then choose Options

As with any experimental version, we're looking forward to your feedback - either here or directly via support@boxcryptor.com.

Best regards,
Robert

Kyle

Robert

I have been able to get Boxcryptor working on an M1 MacMini, but only by following the instructions above and turning of System Integrity Protection. If SIP remains on, even with the reduced security policy, Boxcryptor won't work.
There's some irony that an add-on intended to provide additional security requires reducing OS security to make it work. Do you know yet if this is a temporary fix?

pingudownunder

Thankyou @Florian.
Will you also be providing an experimental version for Windows 10 on ARM (i.e. Surface Pro X devices)? Support have not been very helpful in providing anything regarding ARM-based Windows support apart from "the underlying software library we reuse doesn't support it":

pingudownunder The installation routine fails at the CBFS (Call-Back File System) installation phase and rolls back.
Boxcryptor support have confirmed that CBFS is incompatible but have not provided a roadmap or plan for getting full compatibiality in place.

Robert

pingudownunder I'm sorry, we currently to not have plans to support Windows 10 on ARM. While the processor architecture might be same now with Apple Silicon, the operating systems are still vastly different.

For the virtual Boxcryptor drive, we use kernel drivers provided by 3rd party vendors. We use a custom version of OSXFUSE (https://osxfuse.github.io) on macOS and CBFS Connect (https://www.callback.com/cbfsconnect) on Windows. As kernel drivers are a very low-level piece of software, adapting them for different CPU architectures is not an easy task but thankfully, OSXFUSE - which we're also sponsoring - was ready in time. CBFS Connect, however, is only available for x86 and the vendor does not offer a version for ARM which we could use in Boxcryptor and thus, it is simply not possible for us to provide Boxcryptor for ARM-based Windows at the moment - even if we'd like to.

Best regards,
Robert

scomil

Robert
I asked them (callback.com) about their port for CBFSConnect to Win 10 ARM and they said... “ Thank you for contacting us.
Probably there was some misunderstanding on the Boxcryptor side – ARM64 is fully supported by our products. You might want to contact them and ask them to contact us directly if they have any questions with such support.”

Boris777

Hi Robert,

what does "This first experimental version has known issues when renaming files..." mean. Can we at least open and read files savely?

I have to say I'm underwhelmed by the state of Boxcryptor regarding Apple Silicon. The DTKs have been out for month. You are stating "Boxcryptor runs on Big Sur as well as on Macs with the new processors." when you have an unsafe experimental version?

And do not get me started on the non-existant support for Spotlight... Boxcryptor should be working seamlessly in the background when it is interfering with Mac user's workflows.

BR, Boris

Robert

Boris777 Hi Boris,

Thank for very much your feedback. Yes, as the known issue was isolated to file or folder renames, files could be safely opened and read. Saving files was error prone because many applications write to temporary files which are renamed to the target file name on success file writes. With the latest experimental version (1067), this issue was resolved.

Please bear in mind that adapting software to such a major hardware architecture change is not trivial. While we indeed had a DTK since a few months, it does not represent the final hardware which we also only have access to since Tuesday. Additionally, the stable version of Big Sur is only available since about a week. The DTK as well as the macOS Betas were only previews. They were under active development themselves and especially Big Sur was a moving target always subject to change in the beta. I'm sorry if we didn't meet your expectations.

Best regards,
Robert

Robert

scomil Thank you for the information. I will discuss it with the team and we might re-evaluate what we can do for Windows on ARM in the future.

pingudownunder

scomil @Robert

Hello Robert,

18 Months later and we still don't have a roadmap.for Windows on ARM64 support (Windows 10 or 11)? Surface Pro X and other ARM-based devices being left out? It appears your developers are not being honest with you, as per the Callback guys saying that CBFSConnect is supported on ARM64.

Simon

Robert

Hi everybody,

We have finished a new experimental version for Apple Silicon Macs which you can download here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/l13a4cb4sr0wx1p/Boxcryptor_v2.38.1067_Installer.dmg?dl=0

In this version, the known issues with renaming files have been resolved and save operations in apps like Word, Excel or PowerPoint will succeed as expected. Nevertheless, it is still an experimental version which did not complete final QA. Please use it with caution.

Best regards,
Robert

pingudownunder

Robert Robert, do you have any updates on this? Being unable to run Boxcryptor on Win10/ARM is starting to become a dealbreaker.

aknight

beta 11.1 appears to mess things up again (sorry)

aknight

and 11.0.1 also - endless authorize extension/reboot loop [ticked updated]

blomert

Same here, Version 11.1 Beta (20C5048k) endless authorize extension/reboot loop

markbyrn

Same issue as above - endless authorize extension/reboot loop and the workaround listed for reducing system security in the Startup Security Utility has no effect. Two things to note; there’s still a secondary pop-up that shows the extension needs to be updated by the developer and when doing the required reboot to incorporate the extension, it auto-reboots twice. That would suggest the extension is corrupted and so the system does another reboot to load without it. I tried other workarounds such as resetting the extensions from recovery and trying to remove the legacy extensions but nothing works.

matgra

Same issue - using latest full version 2.38.1090. Even when reducing system security, can't get past the install loop of Unable to Mount Boxcryptor Drive...retry/quit

markbyrn

It's definitely the Benjamin Fleischer Extension that won't install and that extension is not maintained by Boxcryptor. I tried installing Fleischer's last MacFuse (4.0.4) and it failed in the same exact manner. Since Cryptormator can optionally be used without the Fleischer extension, maybe Boxcryptor can offer the same.

matgra

Apple shifting security model away from extensions will mean a huge change to architecture...not likely a quick fix.

markbyrn

matgra Perhaps but they’re still allowed and I’ve installed other updated extensions like Airfoil audio without a problem. The problem here is the Fleischer extension is borked. Also, if the Cryptomator app can work without the extension, I’m guessing Boxcryptor could as well although Boxcrytor Portable is pretty much unusable.

markbyrn

Here's a partial workaround that's more amusing than useful. Sideload the iOS version of Boxcryptor (google up iMazing M1 sideload for the process) and the Boxcryptor iOS version runs very smoothly on the M1 except the process to upload a file silently fails. When you download, you have to open it by sharing it to something like the Notes app. Also, I'm guessing Apple will soon put out an update to prevent sideloading iOS apps 😄

jpxfx

Ok, this is getting really into "issue mode" for me...

I cannot en/decrypt on my Mac anymore;
and the workaround with the iOS app is no workaround - I can open files, I can create folders, but I cannot fully decrypt the files (only open on the fly);

Also using apple's own files app, I tried to move UNencrypted folder into a newly created (in Boxcryptor iOS app) folder to encrypt them - files app gives an error saying communications with the help app impossible...

So I am stuck with not being able to grab and run with my own old files, and not being able to add new ones.

Robert

Hi everybody,

Thank you all for your feedback and assistance on our way to stable Apple Silicon support. It sometimes was a little bit rough, but we finally have been able to resolve the kernel extension loading problem. As a result, we have released the first stable version of Boxcryptor with Apple Silicon support yesterday and you can download version 2.39.1119 here:

https://www.boxcryptor.com/l/download-macosx

If you did have an experimental version (or a version without Apple Silicon support) installed on your M1 Mac before, you might have to reset the kernel extension management as described here:

https://boxcryptor.community/d/17031-apple-silicon/27

In all known cases, resetting the kernel extension management and then installing the new stable version resolved the issues. If you still experience them, please double check the you executed the kmutil trigger-panic-medic command correctly (double dashes prefix for --volume-root and space between --volume-root and /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD) and maybe try it again.

Thanks again and best regards,
Robert