this post was submitted on 02 Sep 2024
73 points (98.7% liked)
Linux
48719 readers
1128 users here now
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
Rules
- Posts must be relevant to operating systems running the Linux kernel. GNU/Linux or otherwise.
- No misinformation
- No NSFW content
- No hate speech, bigotry, etc
Related Communities
Community icon by Alpár-Etele Méder, licensed under CC BY 3.0
founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
To add to the comments, most distros do not offer FDE by default when installing. You have to jump thru hoops. No idea why this is still the case given how many consumer computers are laptops these days, it seems crazy.
The big exception seems to be PopOS, an Ubuntu derivative which is intended for laptops. FDE by default so it must be pretty easy to get that up and running.
Ubuntu itself has a solid FDE option on install, too. It sets up the LVM configuration as already described, no expertise needed. And IME works very reliably.
openSUSE also has a simple FDE setup. Just check a box and enter a passphrase during install. It's not default, but it's about as easy as possible to set up.
Useful to know, thanks.
For the record, I once had a bad experience with the Debian installer's version. That is why I will not be trying Debian again. Installation is a moment of vulnerability, when you don't have ready access to your data, or the network, and this is one extra factor. IMO it really is non-negotiable for a distro to provide a bulletproof installation experience.
I'm pretty sure all the major distros have FDE as an option in the installer its just never on by default. Fedora does the same but with BTRFS on LUKS. I'm sure Debian does. Someone else says OpenSuse does. Maybe some derivative distros don't but I suspect the ones with an graphical installer do.
Except PopOS, as I understand it. IMO that is a major point in its favor and against its competitors, given the dominance of laptops today. I see no reason why this is still opt-in, rather than opt-out as on mobile OSs.
I think PopOS can safely assume that its being installed on a laptop with only one drive. If there's multiple drives involved then the setup gets far more complicated as you then must go to something like an LUKS on LVM setup. Basically, for a desktop there's no safe defaults for FDE.
Sure, but in that case the default encryption could easily be switched off for multiple-drive setups. Basically, the default setting is what's important.