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How to install Ubuntu 11.04 on an encrypted LVM file system

unlock2

With the LVM partition created, we now want to specify that the partition is to be encrypted. So, scroll up to “Configure encrypted volumes.” Enter.
uLVM25

The default is what we want. Enter.
uLVM24

The installer is not a very smart one. It should have detected that there is just one LVM partition, but it did not, so you will have to tell it what partition to encrypt. The obvious choice is the LVM partition. Enter.
uLVM27

We are done telling the installer what partition to encrypt. Scroll to “Done setting up the partition.” Enter. The installer will return you to the window before the one above. Unless you have another disk to encrypt, select Finish on that window.
uLVM28

The installer is requesting the passphrase that will be used to encrypt the PV. Good security practice demands that the passphrase you specify here should not be the same as that of any user account on the system.
unlock2

Ok, the PV has been encrypted, the passphrase specified. The next two tasks are to create the VG, the Volume Group, and then the LVs or Logical Volumes. Scroll up to “Configure the Logical Volume Manager.” Enter.
uLVM29

The information on this window shows that nothing has been done yet. As the VG and LVs are created, those zeros will change to higher numbers. If “Create volume group” is not selected, please do. Enter.
uLVM30

Creating a VG is as simple as giving it a name. The name could be anything that suites you. The shorter the better. Enter.
uLVM31

The device that will be added to the VG is the PV you created earlier. Again, if the installer were smart, it should have detected that there is only one PV configured. In any case, select it. Enter.
uLVM32

You see, the numbers are changing. Now we can start creating the LVs. As recommended at the beginning of this tutorial, three LVs will be configured. These are for /, the root directory, Swap, disk space that may be used as virtual memory, and /home. So, scroll to “Create logical volume.” Enter. Note: You will have to repeat this step and the next three for every LV you configure.
uLVM33

This is the VG that the LV will be configured under. Enter.
uLVM34

The first LV configured will be for /, and the recommended name is root. Makes it a lot easier when the names match the mount points. Note: You can configure the LVs in any order. You do not have to create root first. Enter.
uLVM35

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dc
dc
8 years ago

“Note this is not a graphical installer…”
Ummm, yes, yes it is. You are using a “TUI”, a Textual UI. It is still “graphical” in the sense that the user chooses from a set menu of items and is guided through the process.

passing guest
passing guest
10 years ago

Could you please explain the passage:

“You might be tempted to select “Physical volume for encryption,” but the correct option is “Physical volume for LVM.”

why is that ?

passing guest
passing guest
Reply to  finid
10 years ago

Okay, I read all three pages.
Maybe I’m dumb, but I don’t see how that makes a difference.

As far as I understand, if I follow the instructions, it will be

LVM partition -> encrypted volume -> LVM volumes

However, if I specify the free space as physical volume for encryption, and THEN create an LVM on top of dev_sda#_crypt (the crypto volume that results from using free space as physical volume for encryption), wouldn’t it be like that:

encrypted volume -> LVM -> LVM Volumes

That is, essentially, the same ?

P.S.:
Just tried both in Lubuntu 12.04, and in both cases the LVM seems to end up on sda#_crypt…
… but if I follow the tutorial to the letter, it is sda5_crypt for some reason, however, if I specify the free space as physical volume for encryption, and then specify the resultant sda#_crypt as place for LVM, the cryptovolume gets named sda2_crypt.

No other difference seems to be present…

passing-guest
passing-guest
Reply to  finid
10 years ago

So, not to be an obtrusive nosy person (I am obsessive, not obtrusive! ^_~), what are the benefits of “encryption -over- LVM” as opposed to “LVM -over- encrypted volume” ?

Am I missing something big and obvious ?

Croatia accommodation
Croatia accommodation
10 years ago

Can you tell us more about this? I’d like to find out
some additional information.

George
George
12 years ago

Hi, excellent tutorial!
Can someone also confirm, that – if I understand this correctly – once the partition is encrypted, there’s no need to encrypt the home folder too?

George
George
Reply to  finid
12 years ago

Thank you. So the only security hole with an encrypted LVM installation is that /boot is installed (& is unprotected) on the local drive. Any ideas (or a guide maybe) on how to properly install /boot on a USB thumb with encrypted LVM on the internal HDD?

I tried setting the USB drive as the /boot while partitioning, set the bootable flag, tried to set filesystem to ext4, tried it with ext2 also, but whatever I do, after start up I get dumped to grub rescue (unknown filesystem). Obviously, BIOS is set to boot first from USB. At the rescue prompt I get
set
prefix=(hd0,msdos1)/grub
root=hd0,msdos1
ls
(hd0) (hd0,msdos1) (hd1) (hd1,msdos1)

Now it seems, that grub is trying to load root also from the USB thumb, whereas the LVM is installed on hd1,msdos1.

(As a side note, why is it called ‘msdos’ – thought I got rid of Windows for good several years ago.)

Any ideas on how to do this properly?

George
George
Reply to  finid
12 years ago

Yes, let’s, as I’m quite determined to get this to work. Through e-mail this might be easier though, can you contact me @ geophey@mailcatch.com (don’t worry, it’s a disposable address) or directly to my registered one (if you can see it)?

George
George
Reply to  finid
12 years ago

Well, I tried, and fedora works effortlessly, and with a GUI install. I haven’t found a way in Ubuntu yet.

Arruda
12 years ago

Hi there, great tutorial.
I’ve followed it like it says, but instead used the language “Portuguese From Brazil” to install.
And when I get to the login in gnome, it doesn’t work the login.
It just get blank, and apparently won’t start gnome.(it show at the start a the update window, and other options, but they are all with strange unicode data, it show symbols instead of special characters).
When I loged in as root(from grub) and got to the /home/user folder it shows also the folders with this symbols instead of the regular characters.

Is this a known bug for encrypting the hole OS or could it be because I’m running in a VM?(using virtual box).

Thanks, and sorry for the bad english

Arruda
Reply to  finid
12 years ago

Yeah, it’s that.
I instaled the en-us version and no errors at all.
Can I just ask you guy one more question?
My gf is trying a dual boot (xp and ubuntu) but wanted a file partition that is accessible from both OS.
In the installation she divided the home in half and made a new FAT32, but in the mount point we got a little trouble… in the end she let the mount point as /windows.
Is this the right way to do so?

Thanks for the fast answer

Arruda
Reply to  finid
12 years ago

I see, but that is the point, she’s excited with encryption and wanted to use this tutorial and do a dual-boot all together.

Ruth Cheesley
12 years ago

Thanks for the clear and consise tutorial, most helpful. There were a couple of screens which were not featured but I was able to guess that bit! Just waiting for it to install now! 🙂

Random
Random
12 years ago

great howto, thanks

Dan
Dan
12 years ago

Wow, very nice tutorial finid. It worked pretty flawlessly for Kubuntu 11.10 b2, though the alternative install CD evidently must actually be burned to physical CD, as USB live install couldn’t seem to get past the fact that I was installing to my HDD. Thanks again!

Nei
Nei
12 years ago

If i want create a logical volumen with two physical volumes i need to create two passwords. Is posible create an group volumen before encrypt ?

I’m sorry for my english. Thanks !

Clicksights
12 years ago

Very nice tuto!
To bad that the current installation procces is already a bit different. I installed using your walk through several laptops last 2 weeks, and suprise, the new alternative cd i burned this week is different from the one from the week before, takes a few extra steps to compleet.
Most importent, if installed on the end it asks if grub can be written on the disk, if i use a usb stick, it will write it automatically on the usb stick?!?!
So i burned a new cd, problem solved.
Also in the new installer there are 2 or 3 more screens where you have to say yes to writing the lv and the partitions on disk.

thanks for the tuto!
helped to make my life easier!

Jim
Jim
12 years ago

Can you do this on an external drive and dual boot with Windows 7?

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