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

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.

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

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 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.”

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

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

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.

beta 11.1 appears to mess things up again (sorry)

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

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

Apple Silicon

dsugiyama

Same issue here. I installed the stable version (Boxcryptor_v2.39.1119_Installer.dmg) but entered infinite allow and reboot loop...

mcx808

I use another piece of software: Mountain Duck https://mountainduck.io
This seems to have no problem mounting userspace volumes that support files-on-demand without installing Kernal Extensions.
Would it be possible for Boxcryptor to utilise whatever filesystem mounting method for macOS?

Robert

mcx808

Mountain Duck does not use a real virtual filesystem. Instead, it runs a local NFS server and mounts the NFS shares as network shares in macOS, i.e. all file operations are routed over a local network connection. It's a different approach which has its advantages (e.g. no kernel extension required) and also disadvantages (e.g. performance and stability) over a kernel extension.

tsiftitelli

And same issue here. Can we please hear from someone at Boxcryptor with the latest status on fixing this issue on their end?

agrae

Same here. Infinite loop since weeks …
Any advice from the development team?

Robert

Hello everybody,

If you run into the "Endless system extension approve / reboot loop", the solution is to reset the macOS kernel extension management and make sure that you have the latest Boxcryptor version installed.

I'm very sorry for the inconveniences, but there is little we can do on our side here. I hate pointing fingers at others, but the new kernel extension management which Apple completely rewrote from scratch in macOS Big Sur is brimming with bugs - even in the latest 11.2 update. We have filed more than 10 bugs to Apple of which 7 are still open - one of them is the "Endless system extension approve / reboot loop" bug filed under FB8975139. It has been acknowledged as "critical" by Apple and will be fixed "in a future update" - but only Apple knows when this will be. We have worked around this bug in the latest Boxcryptor version, but an additional kernel management reset is required which can only be performed in macOS Recovery Mode. In the end, Apple has to get their stuff together and fix those bugs so that applications work as expected on their operating system.

We have a 100% success rate to solve the "Endless system extension approve / reboot loop" when the following steps are followed properly:

Uninstall Boxcryptor by moving it to the Trash and emptying the Trash
Verify that you do not have any other version of Boxcryptor on your Mac
Boot to macOS Recovery
- Shut down your Mac
- Press & hold the power button for startup until the start options are being loaded
- Choose Options
Open Utilities -> Terminal in the menu bar at the top
Enter the command:
kmutil trigger-panic-medic --volume-root /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD
(If your boot volume has a different name than "Macintosh HD", replace it in the command)
Verify that the command has been executed successfully by checking the output for the following content:
All third party kexts have been unapproved and uninstalled from /Volumes/Macintosh HD
Restart your Mac
Verify that macOS shows an "Panic Medic Boot" alert stating that all kernel extensions have been reset
Download and install the latest Boxcryptor version and run it
Allow the Boxcryptor system extension in System Preferences -> Security & Privacy
Restart your Mac

If the problem still exists afterwards, there must have been an error in the process and you might want to follow the steps again. If nothing helps, you can always contact us via support@boxcryptor.com and we'll try to assist you.

Best regards,
Robert

agrae

Thx Robert, it worked! :-)

dsugiyama

I was finally able to get Boxcryotor to work fine. I followed the installation steps suggested by Robert many times, but Karabiner-Elements prevented my Mac from rebooting properly after allowing Boxcryptor in Security & Privacy, due to this issue (https://github.com/pqrs-org/Karabiner-Elements/issues/2517). I uninstalled Karabiner-Elements, installed Boxcryptor, and installed Karabiner-Elements again. Now everything works fine.

Robert

dsugiyama Thanks a lot for sharing this insight - very appreciated!

ashishkumarji

facing same issue to using latest full version 2.38.1090.

pingudownunder

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

Robert

pingudownunder I'm sorry, we currently do not have any news regarding Win10/ARM support.

markbyrn

In order to run Boxcryptor on the M1, one has to disable Full Security from the Secure Boot Settings. Easy to do but per the Apple Activation Lock for Mac support document, the security policy must be set to Full Security to use activation lock. Ref https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208987

I have two M1 MacBooks - the first 2020 M1 version and the latest M1 Pro MacBook version that just came out. I have Boxcryptor running on both machines and Full Security has been disabled per Boxcryptor requirements for using Kernel extensions. However Activation Lock is only disabled on the original M1 MacBook and is still enabled on the latest M1 Pro MacBook. So it seems Apple is being confusingly arbitrary but I'm not going to use Boxcryptor if it mean I can't have activation lock. So for now, I'll just the Boxcryptor portable on the original M1 and hope Apple doesn't decide to enforce it's security policy on the latest M1 generation.

As a better alternative, I did try to install Boxcryptor on the Windows 11 ARM version on Parallels but that fails and from reading another forum post, it appears Boxcryptor won't be supporting Win on ARM.

These limitations along with no spotlight search are off putting and I hope there's a future roadmap for Boxcryptor that follows the "it just works" mantra.

markbyrn

To update the above, Apple is enforcing it's policy and when I upgraded to a 12.1 beta, the activation lock was disabled and I had to enable Full Security from the Secure Boot Settings to get it back. As a result, I'm using the Boxcryptor Portable on both M1s which isn't too bad actually since the M1s allow it to run more speedily.

Johndavidson9

Robert thank you for providing useful information

cric

HI boxcryptor team, any ETA on the new version that runs as a system extension rather than a kernel extension? Just got my new Macbook M1-Max and thought I can install it as easy as on my previous Intel Mac. However booting into recovery mode to disable some security functions, that also disables activation lock, just feels like a hack and not like a straight-forward installation. I guess such new version would also bring back spotlight support, which I miss a lot since it has been disabled more than a year ago.

Thanks.

Yasmin

cric
Please have a look here: https://boxcryptor.community/d/17307-all-new-boxcryptor-for-macos-alpha

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,

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