LUKS encryption quick guide

luks-quick-guide.md

LUKS Encryption Quick Guide

Learn more about Linux Unified Key Setup.

Create Device

# create partition
fdisk /dev/sdX

# initiate partition encryption (optional, but suggested)
cryptsetup open --type plain /dev/sdXN container

# fill with encrypted data (optional, but suggested)
dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/mapper/container

# establish LUKS encryption
cryptsetup -v --cipher aes-xts-plain64 --key-size 512 --hash sha512 --iter-time 8000 --use-random luksFormat /dev/sdXN

Create File

# create file of N size
fallocate -l N /path/to/file

# establish LUKS encryption
cryptsetup -v --cipher aes-xts-plain64 --key-size 512 --hash sha512 --iter-time 8000 --use-random luksFormat /path/to/file

# decrypt LUKS
cryptsetup luksOpen /path/to/file container

# fill with encrypted data (ensure real disk allocation. maybe optional, but suggested)
dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/mapper/container

# close LUKS
cryptsetup luksClose container

Open LUKS file space

# decrypt LUKS
cryptsetup luksOpen /dev/sdXN container

Create file system

mkfs.ext4 /dev/mapper/container

Access LUKS file space

/dev/mapper/container points to the decrypted file space. container can be replaced with your string of choice.

Mount

mount /dev/mapper/container /mountpoint

Unmount

umount /mountpoint

Close LUKS file space

(be sure to unmount first)

cryptsetup luksClose container