4

I have a partition for data that is encrypted. I've created it using Disk Utility, so I suppose it's using ecryptfs.

Since it is not home, it doesn't get automatically configured to be mounted at login.

I need it to be mounted on login (not boot). I suppose one can make Gnome to run a little script on login that mounts it, but all methods I have found on the net need root privileges.

I have my home dir encrypted and it doesn't require me to enter a passphrase (I guess it uses my login password). I would like a similar solution for the data partition.

There should be a way, since home automatically mounts, but there isn't and it needs me to enter a pass, it would be less convenient but would also work.

Any ideas? I'm using Ubuntu Oneiric 64bit.

Thanks!!

1 Answer 1

1

Automatically mounting an encrypted partition rather defeats the purpose of encrypting it in the first place. This makes it to where anyone going through your startup scripts on the non-encrypted sector can easily jack into the encrypted.

If you're still set on doing this you can set it in rc.conf. You could also use a C program to have a setuid run to mount it, but this is a monstrous security risk as well.

2
  • Hmm, you sound very right. But how does the default behavior of the home directory encryption (mounted at login) fits on that? I think the login password is used on the process but not sure how. I was thinking of a solution that didn't require me to hardcode my passphrase, so it could be either using the same login mechanism or having it ask my pass. Thx!
    – nandilugio
    Oct 21, 2011 at 23:41
  • Ah, also: rc.conf would be mounting it on boot, right? That would mean necessarily that the pass is hardcoded somewhere. Not good. OTOH, some script in my home dir (which is encrypted) wouldn't be so easy to look at, right? (I might be terribly wrong there...)
    – nandilugio
    Oct 21, 2011 at 23:49

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .