C++ CLI for folder encryption with AES-256-GCM and USB-based key loading

A developer showed off a Linux command-line tool that locks and unlocks folders, scrambles file names, and can pull the secret key from a USB stick. On paper, it sounds like a spy-movie flex: plug in the thumb drive, hide your files, vanish the names, done. But the real action wasn’t in the code demo — it was in the comment section, where readers immediately split into two camps: “nice learning project” versus “please do not trust this with anything important.”

The strongest reaction came from commenters treating this less like a polished security tool and more like a classroom project wearing a trench coat. One critic basically gave it the dreaded “cool for practice, scary for real life” label, rattling off complaints about messy error handling, inconsistent coding style, and even a hard-coded personal file path that made readers do a double take. Ouch. That set the tone fast: admiration for the effort, but big side-eye about using it for actual sensitive files.

Then came the USB key drama. The idea of storing the unlocking key on a thumb drive got hit with instant skepticism, with one commenter bluntly saying they wouldn’t trust a thumb drive on a good day. That sparked the most relatable reaction of the thread: everyone suddenly remembering that one flaky USB stick that died without warning. No giant meme war broke out, but the humor was in the collective vibe — less Mission Impossible, more Mission: I hope my cheap flash drive still works.