Easier encrypted OS partition during install

[azenz]

Currently the encrypted OS partition is only an easy setup deal if you want to encrypt your entire drive. But most of us have other partitions they don't want to lose, specially a Windows partition. Most people migrating to Ubuntu won't just want to format their entire drive. Currently choosing a particular partition to contain the encrypted OS is quite complex. A more sophisticated alternate install would be great here...

[kevinc]

Re: Easier encrypted OS partition during install

I installed Kubuntu 8.04 with Debian Etch already running on other partitions using the alternate CD and during the install chose one encrypted partition plus encrypted swap. Before that I installed Debian Etch, also with one encrypted partition and encrypted swap as a dual boot with a different OS.

There are some good articles worth looking at:

http://www.iki.fi/kuparine/comp/ubun...cryptolvm.html

this uses lvm and encrypts one partition holding everything except /boot (which cannot yet be encrypted)

I may have misunderstood you, but the encryption of a single partition, such as /home, could be simplified as presently it needs choosing one partition for encryption, then using that as swap, which requires two passwords or one password twice, unless you use one partition and lvm to contain both home and swap.

After you have the system running, you can change swap in /etc/fstab and /etc/crypttab but it could be simpler and automatic to encrypt swap without needing a password.