From c03291493e3e3cd58ef2d4e1c42a74fca93ad582 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Janis Hutz <development@janishutz.com>
Date: Sat, 20 Sep 2025 08:44:40 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] Finish full disk encryption post

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 +++
 
 
-On a laptop
+# Motivation
+On a laptop, not having full disk encryption is quite a bad idea. 
+What if your laptop is stolen? Everyone with only little computer knowledge and high enough malicious intent can access all your data. 
+
+This is why it is crucial to fully encrypt your laptop's operating system.
+
+
+# Installation on Arch
+On ArchLinux and most other distributions, you are likely to use LUKS for that via `dm-crypt`. 
+This post will only cover the setup using a single encrypted partition, but a setup using multiple encrypted partitions isn't that different.
+
+## Preparation
+You start out normally, as you would with any other Arch install, but stop before formatting the partitions you created. 
+
+You instead run the following commands (as per [Arch Wiki entry](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Dm-crypt/Encrypting_an_entire_system#LUKS_on_a_partition)):
+```
+partitionname=[enter the partition name here (like sda2 or nvme0n1p2)]
+cryptsetup -v luksFormat /dev/$partitionname
+cryptsetup open /dev/$partitionname root
+mkfs.ext4 /dev/mapper/root
+mount /dev/mapper/root /mnt
+echo 'works' > /mnt/test
+umount /dev/mapper/root
+cryptsetup close root
+cryptsetup open /dev/$partitionname root
+mount /dev/mapper/root /mnt
+cat /mnt/works
+rm /mnt/works
+```
+
+What this'll do is set up a LUKS encrypted partition, open and mount the decrypted content to `/dev/mapper/root` and then put an ext4 file system onto it. 
+It will then mount it to `/mnt` and unmount, close and then redecrypt and remount it to `/mnt`, so as to test that it works. 
+It will print out `works` if everything worked out as intended
+
+
+
+***Important note***: You don't want to encrypt the boot partition. That is to my knowledge not possible or at least very hard to do.
+
+
+## Initcpios
+You need to then proceed normally in the arch install, until you reach the step of generating the `initramfs`. 
+Be sure to install `plymouth` during `pacstrap` as well, or manually do so after.
+We will need to adjust the config. Open `/etc/mkinitcpio.conf` in your favourite text editor (`nvim`)
+
+Under the uncommented `HOOKS=(...)` line, you want to replace it with this:
+```
+HOOKS=(base systemd autodetect microcode modconf kms keyboard sd-vconsole plymouth block sd-encrypt filesystems fsck)
+```
+
+Go ahead and generate the new initramfs using `mkinitcpio -P`.
+
+
+## Bootloader
+I will be using `grub`, but this works similarly for all bootloaders.
+
+We first have to determine the UUID of the encrypted device. 
+For this purpose, run `cryptsetup luksDump /dev/$partitionname` (or replace `$partitionname` with its name if you haven't created the variable) and take note of the UUID.
+
+Open `/etc/default/grub` using your favourite editor.
+
+In the file, you want to replace the `GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX*` lines with the following:
+```
+GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="loglevel=3 quiet splash systemd.show_status=auto rd.udev.log_level=3"
+GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="rd.luks.name=[device UUID you noted before]=root root=/dev/mapper/root"
+```
+
+Then, regenerate the `grub.cfg` file using `grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg`.
+
+
+## Display Manager
+To enable automatic login and automatic keyring unlock with your LUKS password, you can edit the `/etc/gdm/custom.conf` file, as `GDM` is the only DM that supports this feature set as of writing this article.
+
+In that file, you want to add the following lines under the `[daemon]` section:
+```
+AutomaticLogin=[your username]
+AutomaticLoginEnable=true
+```
+
+If you are using GNOME, you are done, if not, create a file under `/var/lib/AccountsService/users/[your username]` with the following content:
+```
+Session=[your preferred session, e.g. hyprland]
+XSession=[same as above]
+```
+
+That will stop `GDM` automatically starting GNOME instead of what you actually want
+
+
+
+# Final thoughts
+And that's it. Congratulations, you now have full disk encryption on your device!
+