Updated, rebooted, now password isn't accepted, home folder is encrypted; help!

[cdupree]

I recently updated some packages that required a restart. I forgot at that moment that I had recently changed passwords, but I had written down the new one so it seemed cool. But after rebooting I couldn't log in. Tried the old and new, tried it several times, checked Caps Lock, etc., the obvious stuff.

Then I started searching and found a now-SOLVED thread here that's similar to my problem, so I followed those steps. Now the system accepts my password, but it immediately returns me to the login screen. GreyGeek and Snowhog suggested several helpful things, one of which was deleting the .Xauthority file in my home directory from the recovery-mode root shell. I tried that but I can't see my home directory because it's encrypted; .ecryptfs is there, as is the .kde directory, Access-Your-Private-Data.desktop, and a README that tells me to click on the desktop file to access the encrypted material. But I can't get a desktop with that installation.

I have another installation of Kubuntu on the same box and I mounted the partition from there. But from that situation I can't even read the README file, and when I click on the .desktop file I'm prompted for an application to open it with.

How screwed am I?

[cdupree]

I should perhaps add that of course I normally do automatic backups daily, but about two weeks ago the external drive I backup onto began flaking out some of the time, so I took it offline and ordered a new one, which should arrive tomorrow. Assuming the backups are okay I'll only have lost a couple weeks of work, but I'd prefer another choice.

I do have the password for the encrypted partition, or at least I believe I do. How can I get Kubuntu to ask for that password when I'm running in the other partition?

[SteveRiley]

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/En...ivateDirectory

Becuase you have that parallel Kubuntu install, you won't need a Live CD, but the steps in Recovering Your Data Automatically might still work (just skip step 1). If that fails, then try the steps in Recovering Your Data Manually.

Once you get all your files copied someplace that isn't encrypted, I'd recommend that you stop encrypting your entire home directory -- it's just too brittle, IMHO. Instead, create a single encrypted subdirectory in your otherwise normal home directory, and store documents and such there. Leave all the various config files for KDE and such in their normal places, unencrypted.

[cdupree]

Cool, thanks, that makes sense. I'll pursue the decryption of files and rethink my disk setup. I appreciate the suggestions!