I want to export my data/profile, but do so without any encryption. I am wondering if it is possible to turn off encryption once you have enabled it, and if so how to actually get the notes decrypted. [I have access to the app, and can read the notes, but I do not remember the old password].
So I set up my notes with a sync to the local file system, and added an encryption password. Judging by a look at the note files themselves, they were saved as ciphertext.
I have gone into the configuration settings here and disabled the encryption:
But I see the password and master key is technically still saved. (Should I delete those - I don't want to do that until the notes are 100% decrypted so I don't lose them.)
What has this done - has it turned off encryption for all current notes, or just stopped any new ones from being encrypted?
How do I force it to decrypt the entire saved database, so that if I manually copy that it is in plain text. Do I just have to do a new sync? Or do I have to set up an entirely new sync target (new folder) so that it can make an unencrypted copy?
If you can SEE the notes, they are decrypted. If you add a note, especially a larger one and then do a sync on a mobile device you will actually see the brief DECRYPTING message flash by. Once it's decrypted and stored locally you can make your changes.
I would also advise backing up all your notes per notebook to a JEX file and keep these handy. Should things totally go south, uninstall the program and start over. I do this weekly to all my notes and then use 7Zip to create an encrypted 7z file and store that on my cloud drive. Joplin is an amazing program but it is far from where it needs to be in order to be totally safe with it. I also use the portable program on my PCs. This way all that I need to do to start over is delete the Joplin Portable folder and recreate it, then reimport my notes.
@Tesselation-Z
I see that Laurent's answer is very short, and it's hard to tell to what his "most likely fine" is referring to. So let me give you my best shot, and may be my answer triggers some corrections or other comments, which could help too.
I understood that Joplin (with E2EE on or off) does never encrypt the local data/profile. So it is without consequence to your "export project" whether you encrypt or not. Surprise that you say, "Judging by a look at the note files themselves, they were saved as ciphertext." Can you check again ?
I do use JEX exports once a week, and have at least once (re-) imported my earlier export, without any problems that was.
As to your other question, you cannot delete the masterkey, you can only delete the password to it (by replacing it with a wrong password or a blank). As soon as you enter the correct password again, it works.
If you can SEE the notes, they are decrypted. If you add a note, especially a larger one and then do a sync on a mobile device you will actually see the brief DECRYPTING message flash by. Once it's decrypted and stored locally you can make your changes.
If I have turned off encryption - and removed my password - and I run the sync to the local folder (a couple times to be thorough) Whatever is saved in that local Target folder should be completely uninterested, and I can simply copy and paste it to a different install of Joplin. (Assuming this would also imply to any "Export Profile" actions I do after the encryption is turned off?)
I would also advise backing up all your notes per notebook to a JEX file
forget me, but I'm not familiar. What exactly is this?
As to your other question, you cannot delete the masterkey, you can only delete the password to it (by replacing it with a wrong password or a blank). As soon as you enter the correct password again, it works.
Very interesting. So, if for some reason, extreme security concerns say, I wanted to remove the master key from the app entirely, I would have to wipe and do a fresh install?
In a desktop client (I guess mobile apps lack this ability), RIGHT click a notebook, choose EXPORT and choose JEX as the format. Let it run. Repeat for each notebook. You CAN do the entire set of notebooks as well by clicking FILE on the menu and choosing EXPORT ALL.
This export is NOT encrypted, so anyone could read your notes just by looking at the file or taking the JEX file and importing it to another instance of Joplin. I get around this by using 7ZIP to create a 7z file with a password. 7z encryption is supposed to be pretty robust. I store my backed up export files on my cloud drive and have used them when my system bombed. You can restore your notes and notebooks quickly should ANY issue come up. When I was experimenting with different sync methods I had to restore a few times. I do a backup once a week, or after adding significant notes.
I also use Joplin Portable and have it with the Notes data on a VeraCrypt encrypted drive on my PCs.
