trents_blog/docs/posts/lmde4-custom-partitions-disk-encryption.md

---
title: "LMDE4 Custom Partitions Disk Encryption"
date: 2020-12-15
draft: false
tags: ["linux-mint","disk-encryption"]
authors: ["trent"]
---
date: 2020-12-15
## **Introduction**
Linux Mint Debian Edition is the alternate version of Linux Mint, but built on a Debian base. The result is quite pleasant: the
stability of desktop Debian, but with the rough edges polished smooth, nicely configured fonts and ui, and all the multi-media codecs included.

Previously, I wrote a [guide for installing LMDE3 with disk encryption](lmde3-xfs-full-disk-encryption.md){target=_blank}.
The installer for LMDE 4 is different
in that it includes support for disk encryption, but not if you need custom partitions such as for a **dual-boot
configuration**.

With this in mind, the examples presented below assume that you have Windows 10 installed in 4 partitions, and
thus you would want to make 3 partitions (5,6,7) after that, for LMDE4.
As with before, with separate partitions for `/boot` formatted ext4, `/boot/efi` formatted fat32,
and a regular luks-encrypted partition for `/` formatted xfs.

With a separate efi partition for LMDE4, you can then use the computer's device boot menu to
select which efi boot entry you want to boot. There is also an advantage in having Windows use the
first efi partition, in that if something happens to the Windows efi boot entry, you can fall back to the
default efi executable. Whereas, if the efi boot entry for Linux somehow gets wiped, you could [repair that
easily enough via chroot](https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2/Installing#via_ChRoot){target=_blank}.

## **Prepare The Installation Media**
Visit the [Linux Mint Website](https://www.linuxmint.com/){target=_blank}
and [download](https://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=279){target=_blank} the iso file for LMDE 4 64bit. Download from torrents if possible, to save bandwidth.

* verify the sha256 sum of the iso file
```console
sha256sum lmde-4-cinnamon-64bit.iso
```

Identify the thumb drive you are going to install from.

* type `lsblk`, note the output, and then insert the thumb drive
* then type `lsblk` again and note the *additional output*

```console
# lsblk /dev/sdb
NAME MAJ:MIN RM SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINT
sdb 8:32 1 14.5G 0 disk
├─sdb1 8:33 1 3.4G 0 part /media/trent/Debian 9.6.0 amd64
└─sdb2 8:34 1 416K 0 part
```
In the above example output we see that our thumb drive is identified as `/dev/sdb`, and partition `/dev/sdb1` is automatically mounted.

Take special care that you have accurately identified the thumb drive before proceeding. For the sake of example,
we will proceed on the assumption that our thumb drive is identified as `/dev/sdb`, but you need to compensate accordingly.

* unmount any partition of the thumb drive that are automatically mounted
```console
umount /dev/sdb1
```

* write the disk image to the thumb drive
```console
ddrescue -D --force lmde-4-cinnamon-64bit.iso /dev/sdb
```

## **Boot The Install Disc**
* boot into bios to disable fastboot and secureboot
* invoke your machine's device boot menu and boot the install disc in uefi mode
* confirm that you have booted in uefi mode by listing efivars
```console
ls /sys/firmware/efi/vars
```

## **Partition The Hard Drive**
If you recall we are assuming the target hard drive is `/dev/sda`, as an example. So, make adjustments as necessary.

If you would rather use a different partition tool, make sure the efi partition is an efi partition type, and you definitely need a separate `/boot` partition.

If indeed, you are installing a dual-boot and are installing alongside another operating system,
then **skip steps 1 and 2**, obviously.

1. if needed you can clear the drive with wipefs
```console
wipefs --all /dev/sda
```
1. create a new partition table for `/dev/sda`
```console
sgdisk /dev/sda -o
```
1. create a new efi partition for `/dev/sda`
```console
sgdisk /dev/sda --new=5::+512MiB --typecode=1:ef00
```
1. create a new `/boot` partition for `/dev/sda`
```console
sgdisk /dev/sda --new=6::+1G
```
1. create a new `/` partition for `/dev/sda`
```console
sgdisk /dev/sda --new=7
```
1. verify your partition work
```console
sgdisk /dev/sda -p
```
1. format the efi partition
```console
mkfs.vfat -F32 /dev/sda5
```
1. format the /boot partition
```console
mkfs.ext4 /dev/sda6
```
1. encrypt the `/` partition, you will be prompted for a password
```console
cryptsetup -y -v luksFormat --type luks2 /dev/sda7
```
1. decrypt the `/` partition, you will be prompted for a password
```console
cryptsetup open /dev/sda7 cryptroot
```
1. format the `/` device
```console
mkfs.xfs /dev/mapper/cryptroot
```
## **Mount The Hard Drive**
This takes advantage of *expert mode* in the LMDE installer.

1. create an `/target` directory
```console
mkdir /target
```
1. mount the `/` device at `/target`
```console
mount /dev/mapper/cryptroot /target
```
1. create an `/target/boot` directory
```console
mkdir /target/boot
```
1. mount the `/boot` partition at `/target/boot`
```console
mount /dev/sda6 /target/boot
```
1. create an `/target/boot/efi` directory
```console
mkdir /target/boot/efi
```
1. mount the efi partition at `/target/boot/efi`
```console
mount /dev/sda5 /target/boot/efi
```

## **Run The Installer App From Command Line**
At this point you're ready to run the live installer. But you need to run the
installer from the command line in order to **use expert-mode**:
```console
live-installer --expert-mode
```

The first three pages of the live-installer cover Language,Timezone, and Keymap.
The fourth page of the live-installer covers name, password, and hostname. After this
**select manual partitioning**.

On the seventh page of the live-installer, you come to a partition configuration page.
But there is nothing to do here. The partition-configuration doesn't even recognize
your encrypted partitions. But no matter, because you have already mounted the target
file system relative to `/target/`, so select *expert mode* at the bottom of the page.

<figure>
  <img src=../../photos/Screenshot31.png width="100%" />
  <figcaption>the installer doesn't even recognize the encrypted partitions ... ignore everything on this screen and click the `Expert mode` button</figcaption>
</figure>

Again select *forward*, and when you come to the page where you configure the location
to install grub, that should be the efi partition, i.e. `/dev/sda5`.

<figure>
  <img src=../../photos/Screenshot39.png width="100%" />
  <figcaption>select the efi partition as the location to install grub</figcaption>
</figure>

Then continue with the installation. The installation will run for a
few minutes and will then pause. There will be a popup informing you that the installation has paused.
During the pause you need to manually configure `fstab` and `crypttab`.

## **Configure Fstab**

1. find the UUID of the efi partition
```console
blkid /dev/sda5 -s UUID
```
1. find the UUID of the `/boot` partition
```console
blkid /dev/sda6 -s UUID
```
1. find the UUID of the `/` device
```console
blkid /dev/mapper/cryptroot -s UUID
```

And when you find the correct UUID numbers, use them to configure `/etc/fstab` which is actually currently at `/target/etc/fstab`.
```conf
# /etc/fstab
###############
# efi partition
# run the command `blkid /dev/sda1 -s UUID` which outputs
# /dev/sda5: UUID="17C4-215D", from which derive
UUID=17C4-215D /boot/efi vfat defaults 0 2

# /boot partition
# run the command `blkid /dev/sda2 -s UUID` which outputs
# /dev/sda6: UUID="f2509fff-4854-4721-b546-0274c89e6aec", from which derive
UUID=f2509fff-4854-4721-b546-0274c89e6aec /boot ext4 defaults 0 2

# "/" device
# run the command `blkid /dev/mapper/cryptroot -s UUID` which outputs
# /dev/mapper/cryptroot: UUID="72241377-cd65-43a6-8363-1afce5bd93f6", from which derive
UUID=72241377-cd65-43a6-8363-1afce5bd93f6 / xfs defaults 0 1
```

## **Configure Crypttab**
But before the file systems can be mounted, `crypttab` needs to mount `/dev/sda3` at `/dev/mapper/cryptroot`.
Configure `/etc/crypttab` which is actually currently at `/target/etc/crypttab`

Sorry, that's actually an over-simplification. But you need to configure `crypttab` now,
because when the installer continues running again, it installs the bootloader and builds the initramfs,
and `mkinitramfs` parses `crypttab`, and builds and configures the initramfs in such a way that it knows
to decrypt your `/` partition so it can then hand it off to the kernel at boot time (I think).

* find the UUID of the partition that will be mounted at `/dev/mapper/crypttab`
```console
blkid /dev/sda3 -s UUID
```

And when you find the correct UUID number for `/dev/sda3`,
use that to configure `/etc/crypttab` which is actually currently at `/target/etc/crypttab`.
```conf
# /etc/crypttab
# run the command `blkid /dev/sda7 -s UUID` which outputs
# /dev/sda7: UUID="da3e0967-711f-4159-85ac-7d5743a75201", from which derive
# <target name> <source device> <key file> <options>
cryptroot UUID=da3e0967-711f-4159-85ac-7d5743a75201 none luks
```

## **Resume Installer App**
At this point finish running the live installer, and you'll be done.

## **UEFI Fix**
Well, actually there isn't one. In this scenario having two efi partitions,
we rely on the motherboard correctly persisting efi boot entries.

So if you are unlucky enough to have one of the HP laptops that
*forgets* efi boot entries, I guess you are out of luck.

You might try using a single efi partition instead of two, and
maybe that will work. Presumably this would require using VeraCrypt
for Windows, instead of Bitlocker (because Bitlocker won't allow Grub
to load the Windows bootloader?)

## **Optional Swap File**
Visit the [Arch Wiki](https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Swap#Swap_file){target=_blank} and they will hook you up.