HOWTO: Unlock A LUKS Encrypted Root Partition Via SSH On Ubuntu

[peter7]

I am trying to apply the Howto indicated in the title to a fully encrypted (by alternative
install) Kubuntu 8.04. I can login over ssh after the boot but the
"unlock" command is just hanging there with the message:

Setting up cryptographic volume sda2_crypt (based on /dev/disk/by-uuid/...

It never prompts for the pass phrase or does anything.

I was wondering if anybody has some idea how to proceed. I tried to do
manually what unlock does with the same result.

[sjau]

you do have a fully encrypted system?

[peter7]

Yes I do, except the /boot partition of course.

[sjau]

Post your /etc/initramfs-tools/scripts/local-top/cryptroot script

[peter7]

Post your /etc/initramfs-tools/scripts/local-top/cryptroot script

This directory is empty.

If you mean the file /scripts/local-top/cryptroot in the netboot initrd image then it is the same as what is in the original initrd. Which in turn comes from /usr/share/initramfs-tools/scripts/local-top/cryptroot unmodified. These files are part of the cryptsetup package and are the same over all ubuntu based distros. My cryptsetup is version 2:1.0.5-2ubuntu12

What I noticed that the prompt asking for the pass phrase showed up on the console instead of in my ssh session but took no input.

[sjau]

are you using LVM?

[peter7]

are you using LVM?

Yes, but the encryption is on the underlying (single) physical partition.
The failed netboot procedure does not get to the lvm phase at all.

[sjau]

there has been an issue with kernel and lvm... I don't recall the exact specifics right now....

[sjau]

I just re-set it up according to my howto in a vm... it works great... the only problem I had (in the beginning) that I did copy a single/recovery user grub entry.... once I realized that it worked again...

So, try it on your computer in a vmware or so with a non-lvm install....