What does hard drive encryption do to files when they are copied elsewhere?

[JacekZ]

If you have encrypted your home partition with Fedora 9, can you please tell me what happens when you copy some files out to:
1) another machine that is not encrypted, and
2) to a memory stick hot-plugged into the encrypted machine.

Do the files get copied over in an encrypted or a clear state?

I ask because when I tried it some years back on another OS, the files went over encrypted, and it made synchronisation and backup near impossible. I'd like to know if Fedora handles things in a friendlier way.

Thanks
Jacek

[JohnVV]

if you copy them while running/using F9 then they will be unencrypted but if you are fedora 8 on a different drive and try to get the files off the fedora 9 drive then they will be encrypted .

[JacekZ]

Thanks, it sounds like unison sync between two machines where one runs F9 encrypted and another F8 unencrypted might work - has anyone tried that?