Arch Linux

Trikenstein

Member

From: Canada

Registered: 2021-09-25

Posts: 6

ArchLinux overwriting previous OS, keeping /home, add disk encryption

Hi,

My desktop has a partition layout with separate partitions: /boot, root, /home, swap. All partitions, except swap, use ext4 File System. The desktop had survived several OS re-install. Each time I keep the /home partition unformatted. Practically I re-install the OS every 2 years, on Ubuntu LTS release. So far it works OK even though if I switched DE several times (XFCE, Mate, Mint, Ubuntu Gnome). But always stay in the Ubuntu-based lineage.

QUESTION 1: This time I would like to install ArchLinux + KDE overwriting Ubuntu 20.04 Gnome. Preserving the /home partition. Would there be any adverse effects? Something like an application reads the config on the existing /home/username1 and fails to start because suddenly the graphical interface is now different. If such issue exists, is there a list of apps which are known to be sensitive to this kind of issue?

QUESTION 2: I would like to try full disk encryption on the /home partition. Would that work on an EXISTING /home partition? Not sure what the good practice is in terms of disk encryption. For now I think only /home is worth encrypted but not /boot nor root partitions.

QUESTION 3: More importantly, is full disk-encryption reliable? What would be the inconvenience or constraints should I be aware of when switching to encryption?

Thanks in advance for any help

jasonwryan

Anarchist

From: .nz

Registered: 2009-05-09

Posts: 30,426

Website

Re: ArchLinux overwriting previous OS, keeping /home, add disk encryption

Full disk encryption is just that, on a disk not a partition.

Please read the forum rules before posting again. Omnibus posts are not permitted.

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Arch + dwm   •   Mercurial repos  •   Surfraw

Registered Linux User #482438

walkingstickfan

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2021-05-10

Posts: 109

Re: ArchLinux overwriting previous OS, keeping /home, add disk encryption

I've personally never understood the need for full disk encryption; too much witchcraft in my opinion. I always create and use a VeraCrypt partition and store all of my sensitive stuff there.

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Arch Linux with Openbox & Tint2