Recipe 13.5. Creating a Persistent, Encrypted Knoppix Home Directory

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13.5.1 Problem

You really like running Knoppix from the CD, because it cannot be infested by viruses, Trojans, or rootkits, and you would like to use it in place of a hard drive installation. But there's a problem: where do you store personal data, email, and other things that you'd like to keep with you? You want a secure home directory in which to store email and other data files.

13.5.2 Solution

Run Knoppix Configure Create to make a persistent Knoppix home directory. You'll have the option of creating /home on the hard drive, or on removeable media such as USB memory sticks, compact flash cards, or Zip disks. This creates a file called knoppix.img.

Say yes when it asks you if you want to create an AES-encrypted directory. The directory will be encrypted with a 256-bit key. You have to come up with a passphrase of at least 20 characters. Make it a sentence that you can remember, like "thisismylongpassword," because you'll need it every time you boot.

To boot using your nice, new encrypted /home, insert your removable media and type:

boot: knoppix home=/dev/sda1

If you also saved your Knoppix configuration, you can specify both:

boot: knoppix home=/dev/sda1  myconfig=/dev/sda1

Your new /home directory will appear in Knoppix as /home/knoppix and will be automatically mounted at boot. If you store your encrypted /home in an existing Linux partition on the hard drive, the whole partition will be mounted.

13.5.3 Discussion

The default size of /home/knoppix is 30 MB. Make it as large as you need.

13.5.4 See Also

  • Documentation on the Knoppix CD

  • Knoppix.net (http://www.knoppix.net/)

  • Klaus Knopper's official homepage (http://www.knopper.net/)

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    Linux Cookbook
    Linux Cookbook
    ISBN: 0596006403
    EAN: 2147483647
    Year: 2004
    Pages: 434

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