[clug] Ubuntu encrypted file systems

[Jack Kelly]

On Wed, Aug 19, 2009 at 11:25 AM, Ian McLeod<ianmcleod75 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hibernate is pretty important to work - this is a big reason to have a
> netbook in the first place.  What if only /home is encrypted - that at least
> offers some protection against casual theft or loss - and if someone is that
> keen to scan var and swap then maybe just let them - they clearly have too
> much spare time.  So it's a case of what's 'good enough' - although ideally
> I would prefer total security but not to the point where the system is
> unusuable.
>
> Performance would be an issue although a netbook really is only for net use
> and basic work - and GPS in my case too.
>
> I am leaning toward wiping the install and using the Ubuntu 'alternate
> install' method to set up encryption from install.
>
> Anyone else done this on a netbook or laptop?  Any advice?  Is it possible
> to retain a working hibernate?

This morning, I tried to migrate to unencrypted /, encrypted /tmp /var
/home and swap, but messed it up and made my system unbootable. I've
just installed xubuntu from a daily build of the karmic alternate
livecd (be warned, you need a deb of ttf-bitstream-vera lying around,
because it's not in the repositories any more, but is still depended
on).

I made a 256mb /boot and put everything else on a crypto fs. I put a
LVM volume on that, made a volume group containing a swap LV and a
root LV. Hibernate works (I just tried while typing this post).

I'm not sure if the guided encrypted LVM option would work.

-- Jack