How Can I Properly Encrypt Folders on My Computer?

It sounds like you might have been trying to set up LUKS encryption, which is great for Linux but can be tricky. If you're looking for something easier, password-protected zip files might be the way to go for specific files. It's simpler to implement and still offers good security for those confidential documents like your diary. Just keep in mind, depending on how you want to share or transfer files, the password will be necessary to unzip them on any system.

You're right in wanting to encrypt your sensitive information! If you want seamless access across different platforms, consider using file system encryption like LUKS or eCryptfs. They provide transparent encryption, meaning once your files are encrypted, they’ll auto-decrypt when accessed on the original system, but will still require a password if accessed elsewhere.

As for the extra files you saw, they often contain metadata for encryption management, and yes, it’s fine to hide them by putting a period in front of their names. Just be cautious that hiding files doesn’t affect how your encryption software manages your folders.

When it comes to file encryption, there are a lot of options out there. If you want to keep your folders encrypted and still easily accessible, I recommend looking into specific software that allows for folder encryption as you envision. Operating systems usually focus on whole disk encryption or individual file protection, so it might not cater to folder-level encryption directly.

For what you're looking to achieve—keeping sensitive files, like your diary, private—I suggest solutions like VeraCrypt or even setting up a password-protected archive with tools like 7-zip. These methods can achieve your goals effectively without overcomplicating things. Just be clear about why you're encrypting and that will help tailor the right approach for you.