Arch Linux

Lollo

Member

Registered: 2025-10-05

Posts: 2

[SOLVED] Unlock encrypted device

I'm trying to install Arch Linux encrypting the root with LUKS. As per guide https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Dm-cry … figuration I have inserted the following HOOKS in

/etc/mkinitcpio.conf

HOOKS=(base systemd autodetect microcode modconf kms keyboard sd-vconsole block sd-encrypt filesystems fsck)

  in the file

/boot/loader/loader.conf

default arch.conf
timeout 3
console-mode max
editor no

and in

/boot/loader/entries/arch.conf

title Arch Linux
linux /vmlinuz-linux
initrd /intel-ucode.img
initrd /initramfs-linux.img
options root=/dev/mapper/root rd.luks.uuid=XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX

where rd.luks.uuid is the UUID of the partition to be decrypted. When I start the system it makes me enter the password correctly to decrypt the disk it says

A start job is running for /dev/mapper/root

and after 1:30 minutes the operation always fails.
Could someone help me?
Thanks in advance

Last edited by Lollo (2025-10-11 16:47:34)

frostschutz

Member

Registered: 2013-11-15

Posts: 1,574

Re: [SOLVED] Unlock encrypted device

You used rd.luks.uuid=, which does not specify a name. So unless you supplied a crypttab{.initramfs} along with it, the device would be named /dev/mapper/luks-xxxxuuid… so it's waiting for /dev/mapper/root in vain.

So you can either, use rd.luks.name=xxxxuuid=root or ignore the name, and supply root=UUID=yourfilesystemuuid of whatever is inside your LUKS container.

002

Member

Registered: 2025-10-03

Posts: 2

Re: [SOLVED] Unlock encrypted device

options root=/dev/mapper/root rd.luks.uuid=XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX

There Xs are suposed to be the partition uuid  https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Dm-cry … .luks.uuid. Here's how to find uuid https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Persis … ng_methods.
Also the kernel parameters need to be inserted, https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Kernel_parameters# find your bootloader and see how to set them.

I recommend you check https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Dm-cry … re_system#  for guides on encryption options

Lollo

Member

Registered: 2025-10-05

Posts: 2

Re: [SOLVED] Unlock encrypted device

Thank you both. I was able to solve my problem by following what frostschutz said.

/boot/loader/entries/arch.conf

title Arch Linux
linux /vmlinuz-linux
initrd /intel-ucode.img
initrd /initramfs-linux.img
options root=/dev/mapper/root rd.luks.name=Encrypt-Device-UUID=root

Last edited by Lollo (2025-10-11 16:45:45)