eCryptfs: Input/output error

Question

My home directory is encrypted using ecryptfs. I have recently started getting I/O errors when I try to access some files on that file system:

aix@aix:~/.evolution/mail/imap/acct/folders/INBOX$ cat 130395.HEADER
cat: 130395.HEADER: Input/output error

/var/log/messages has the following to say:

Oct 11 11:05:38 aix kernel: [138537.991670] Either the lower file is not in a valid eCryptfs format, or the key could not be retrieved. Plaintext passthrough mode is not enabled; returning -EIO

Two questions:

1. How do I fix this?
2. How do I prevent this happening in the future?

I'm using Ubuntu 10.10.

Answer 1

I am exepriencing the same issue, and I found this thread: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ecryptfs/+bug/509180?comments=all

Especially interesting is the fact that corrupted RAM could cause to disk issues for the encrypted areas: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ecryptfs/+bug/509180?comments=all

Haven't gotten around to check if it works for me tho.