To use private:// or public:// the following fixes are needed:

diff aes.admin.inc*
33c33
< if (file_exists(variable_get("aes_key_path", "")) && is_writable(drupal_realpath(variable_get("aes_key_path", ""))) == FALSE && variable_get("aes_key_storage_method", "Database") == "File") {
---
> if (file_exists(variable_get("aes_key_path", "")) && is_writable(variable_get("aes_key_path", "")) == FALSE && variable_get("aes_key_storage_method", "Database") == "File") {
182c182
< $fp = @fopen(drupal_realpath($form_state['values']['aes_key_path']), "a");
---
> $fp = @fopen($form_state['values']['aes_key_path'], "a");

and the .module:

diff aes.module*
344c344
< $key = file_get_contents(drupal_realpath(variable_get("aes_key_path", "")));
---
> $key = file_get_contents(variable_get("aes_key_path", ""));
376c376
< $fp = fopen(drupal_realpath(variable_get("aes_key_path", "")), "w");
---
> $fp = fopen(variable_get("aes_key_path", ""), "w");
378c378
< drupal_set_message(t("Couldn't write key to file '" . drupal_realpath(variable_get("aes_key_path", "")))."'", "error");
---
> drupal_set_message(t("Couldn't write key to file " . variable_get("aes_key_path", "")), "error");
397c397
< $result = unlink(drupal_realpath(variable_get("aes_key_path", "")));
---
> $result = unlink(variable_get("aes_key_path", ""));

Comments

ecj created an issue.