/boot on USB with Grub2 Luks Support

defad01 · 2013-08-27 02:41:56

Hello,

I've searched both the wiki and the forums and found quite a bit of information regarding this. I just can't piece it together properly.

I want one HDD fully encrypted with /boot on a USB containing Grub2 and the ability to enter a LUKS password. I'm not familiar enough with Grub and /boot to piece everything together in a working fashion. I've tried multiple times on a Virtualbox.

Thanks

Last edited by defad01 (2013-08-27 05:39:49)

qinohe · 2013-08-27 09:51:30

Welcome to Arch, help us help you, really need to provide us with more info, like what commands you used to setup your system.
Don't link to a wiki and say, I used this page, rather tell us what it is you did
Even if this is your first post, I assume you manage to set up Arch in a standard way , I mean without encryption and things like that.

defad01 · 2013-08-27 11:16:14

Here is a reference link that is exactly what I want to do, other than I'd like it to be on a usb instead. I'd like the entire /boot and the key to be on the usb key.

https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=144100

Do I grub-install to the usb, then edit the parameters? What ext do I format the usb card to? ext4 then grub install?

I've got arch set up and working per the wiki with an unencrypted /boot on the same hdd, but I'd like to move that partition off of the hdd and put it on to a USB instead, so there is no way to replace my /boot and mess with it.

https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=167760

Here is something similiar.

http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-370023.html

qinohe · 2013-08-27 13:45:15

Well, I never tried to setup a system like that, but if you followed the second post from hunterthomson, what works and what doesn't?

alphaniner · 2013-08-27 13:58:22

I did this a while back and I'm planning on doing it again soon. There's really not much to it beyond copying your existing /boot to the usb and making it bootable. I use syslinux so I can't help you with that last part.

If you have any specific non-grub questions I'll try to answer.

defad01 · 2013-08-27 14:01:08

alphaniner wrote:

I did this a while back and I'm planning on doing it again soon. There's really not much to it beyond copying your existing /boot to the usb and making it bootable. I use syslinux so I can't help you with that last part.
If you have any specific non-grub questions I'll try to answer.

I don't mind if I don't use Grub. How do you use syslinux to achieve it? Do I set up a "normal" LUKS install with the unencrypted /boot on the hdd, literally copy it to usb, change parameters, then delete the unencrypted /boot on the hdd?

alphaniner · 2013-08-27 14:12:10

Actually, I did everything during install, ie. /boot was on the USB from the very beginning.

You can test in VBox using a VM with two virtual HDDs: one at 1GB (or whatever) representing the USB and one representing the HDD.

defad01 · 2013-08-27 21:59:48

alphaniner wrote:

Actually, I did everything during install, ie. /boot was on the USB from the very beginning.
You can test in VBox using a VM with two virtual HDDs: one at 1GB (or whatever) representing the USB and one representing the HDD.

I've set up one VM hdd to be the encrypted drive, but I'm unsure how to install /boot to the other drive then make it reference the encrypted drive to boot.

alphaniner · 2013-08-28 15:44:53

I think you're making this more complicated than it needs to be. Installation with /boot on a different drive is nearly identical to installation with /boot on a separate partition. Grok that first before worrying about the encrypted drive.

Arch Linux

#1 2013-08-27 02:41:56

/boot on USB with Grub2 Luks Support

#2 2013-08-27 09:51:30

Re: /boot on USB with Grub2 Luks Support

#3 2013-08-27 11:16:14

Re: /boot on USB with Grub2 Luks Support

#4 2013-08-27 13:45:15

Re: /boot on USB with Grub2 Luks Support

#5 2013-08-27 13:58:22

Re: /boot on USB with Grub2 Luks Support

#6 2013-08-27 14:01:08

Re: /boot on USB with Grub2 Luks Support

#7 2013-08-27 14:12:10

Re: /boot on USB with Grub2 Luks Support

#8 2013-08-27 21:59:48

Re: /boot on USB with Grub2 Luks Support

#9 2013-08-28 15:44:53

Re: /boot on USB with Grub2 Luks Support

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