How can I backup my system, encrypt the disk, and restore? [duplicate]

Question

Possible Duplicate:
Encrypted System Backup

I would like to encrypt my entire disk offered by a fresh Ubuntu install as described here.

However, my current laptop has too many configurations that I do not want to re-do. I would like to backup the entire system, format the drive, re-install Ubuntu with the disk encryption option, and restore all files and configurations.

How hard is it to do this and what should I be careful about? Can I backup and restore as described here?

Answer 1

Good question!

The forums post you linked is certainly one way to backup your system (using tar). However, I would recommend booting an Ubuntu LiveCD (to ensure that nothing else is running or using your files), and copy all of your data to an external USB hard drive.

After you have a complete backup, you can follow the blog post to install using full disk encryption. After your installation, then you'll attach your USB hard drive and restore the files you need. Most of these should be in your /home directory, though some of them might be configuration files in your /etc directory. This part might be a little tricky, as you'll need to surgically pick and choose what to restore.

Other than that, you should be up and running!