29.3. Creating Encrypted Block Devices in Anaconda
You can create encrypted devices during system installation. This allows you to easily configure a system with encrypted partitions.
To enable block device encryption, check the "Encrypt System" checkbox when selecting automatic partitioning or the "Encrypt" checkbox when creating an individual partition, software RAID array, or logical volume. After you finish partitioning, you will be prompted for an encryption passphrase. This passphrase will be required to access the encrypted devices. If you have pre-existing LUKS devices and provided correct passphrases for them earlier in the install process the passphrase entry dialog will also contain a checkbox. Checking this checkbox indicates that you would like the new passphrase to be added to an available slot in each of the pre-existing encrypted block devices.
Important
Devices encrypted with LUKS can share a global passphrase. When a system contains more than two encrypted block devices, anaconda offers you the option to set a global passphrase for them. However, although anaconda can set this passphrase correctly, the use of global passphrases is not supported by the init scripts in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.
Therefore, even if you set a global passphrase during installation, you must still supply individual passphrases for each encrypted block device every time that the system boots.
Note
Checking the "Encrypt System" checkbox on the "Automatic Partitioning" screen and then choosing "Create custom layout" does not cause any block devices to be encrypted automatically.
Note
You can use
kickstart to set a separate passphrase for each new encrypted block device.
29.3.1. What Kinds of Block Devices Can Be Encrypted?
Most types of block devices can be encrypted using LUKS. From anaconda you can encrypt partitions, LVM physical volumes, LVM logical volumes, and software RAID arrays.
