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I've tried to setup an autologin, but that isn't possible, because my home is encrypted. What are the reasons for this?

PS. Here I have described my problem: Ubuntu Netbook Edition and automatic login.

Community
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cupakob
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1 Answers1

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The problem is that your password is required to unwrap the mount passphrase used to decrypt the eCryptfs home directory. Without that, it's not possible; the system doesn't have the encryption key yet.

These login styles are mutually exclusive; you can either automatically log in (thereby letting anyone with physical access to your computer be able to access your data), or you can encrypt your home directory (keeping things encrypted and safe from access without a passphrase), but not both.

Kees Cook
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    Basically: if you want to keep something secret, you have to provide a secret to access it. – JanC Nov 03 '10 at 23:22
  • and if i want to keep it secret only sometimes? For example: only on holidays/trip. At home, i don't need it secret... – cupakob Nov 04 '10 at 06:55
  • Question originally answered at: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ecryptfs-utils/+bug/353446/comments/2 – Dustin Kirkland Feb 07 '12 at 15:18
  • @cupakob: If you want to have an autologin and an encrypted directory you can encrypt just a sub-directory of home as described for example here: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/EncryptedPrivateDirectory – pabouk - Ukraine stay strong Feb 23 '15 at 12:57