Linux

48328 readers

632 users here now

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

Rules

Posts must be relevant to operating systems running the Linux kernel. GNU/Linux or otherwise.
No misinformation
No NSFW content
No hate speech, bigotry, etc

Related Communities

Community icon by Alpár-Etele Méder, licensed under CC BY 3.0

founded 5 years ago

MODERATORS

AgreeableLandscape@lemmy.ml

nooter692@lemmy.ml

MarcellusDrum@lemmy.ml

cypherpunks@lemmy.ml

cyclohexane@lemmy.ml

d3Xt3r@lemmy.nz

Encrypt whole system? (sh.itjust.works)

submitted 2 months ago by UnRelatedBurner@sh.itjust.works to c/linux@lemmy.ml

67 comments fedilink hide all child comments

My laptop isn't under my supervision most of the time. And I'd hate it if someone were to steal my SSD, or whole laptop even, when I'm not around. Is there a way to encrypt everything, but still keep the device in sleep, and unclock it without much delay. It's a very slow laptop. So decryption on login isn't viable, takes too long. While booting up also takes forever, so it needs to be in a "safe" state when simply logged out. Maybe a way that's decrypt-on-demand?

I'm on Arch with KDE.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] sudo@programming.dev 40 points 2 months ago (14 children)

The standard route is to decrypt on boot. It happens after GRUB but before your display manager starts. IDK if there even is a setup that has you "decrypt on login". Thats sounds like your display manager (sddm for KDE) is decrypting system which is not possible IMO.

Unless your laptop somehow has multiple drives you'll want to use the "LVM on LUKS" configuration. 1 small partition for /boot. The rest gets LUKS encrypted, and an LVM group is put on the LUKS container. Or you could replace LVM with btrfs.

This will require wiping your system and reinstalling so you have some reading to do.

The arch-install script in the live iso has options for full disk encryption.

If you suspend to RAM your system will stay unencrypted, because your ram is not encrypted. if you suspend to disk (aka hibernate) your system will be encrypted. You go through the boot loader when waking from hibernation but it just drops you off where you left off.

You need a swapfile for hibernation so make sure its inside the LUKS container.

[–] that_leaflet@lemmy.world 10 points 2 months ago (1 children)

There is a way for just your home folder to be encrypted, Linux Mint has it as an option.

[–] sudo@programming.dev 3 points 2 months ago

Looks like they use eCryptFS. Never heard of it before so thats neat. I can see using it on systems where you can't reinstall the system with Dm-crypt but it most cases I suspect Dm-crypt is a better alternative.

Idk if its faster or slower than Dm-crypt.

load more comments (12 replies)