migrating to an encrypted fs on existing installation
 

On my laptop there is already Slackware installed, there came a need to encrypt the fs on it. I do have necessary space on another machine to backup. The question is how to do that. Actually we need to delete all those ordinary partitions to create LVM, but the system won't be functional then. So I need to use some live distribution to do that, but my dvd-rom is dead and removed, so the only possibility then is flash drive. So what? :)

I am not sure what your needs exactly are, but if you just need to encrypt certain files, have you looked at truecrypt ? It is easy and crossplatform.

There is an option to encrypt the FS during the installation process of Slackware, but the way to do it after the installation is harder. So I am looking for a live distribution for flash drives to rsync backwards files i've backed up on another machine.
Actually the guide is here: http://slackware.osuosl.org/slackwar...ADME_CRYPT.TXT
Of course the simplicity of the way drew my attention to it, haven't noticed it before.

Do you want to completely re-install Slackware, or do you want to backup all of the installed Slackware to the other computer, destroy the partitions, setup new partitions and encrypt them, and finally copy all data back (and then run lilo to make it all bootable again)?

The Slackware USB installer would be able to do the first option. A live distro on a USB stick would be able to achieve what I described in the second option.
You can create a USB installer containing the full set of Slackware packages if you have a 2 GB stick and use the directions here: http://www.slackware.com/~alien/tools/usbinstall/12.0/

A live distro on USB like SLAX should be able to do option #2. The Slackware installer in the next release should be able to do the same - fingers crossed for the green light on that.

Eric

Yes.
This night I was looking for a live Slackware-related USB-stick live distro and eventually came to slax owner's blog, then saw your message, but still thanks :)
Looking forward it. This is what I missed about Slackware.



The next question is: what to backup from /sys /proc and /dev ? They are system fs, so thought they should not be backed up. But last time I tried to bring previous installation to life had problems about restoring /dev as have never thought it should be backed up as udev creates it on each boot. Confused about it.

Besides before encrypting partitions I want to create logical volumes and encrypt them is it possible instead of ordinary partitions?

Unfortunately nobody answered. But I even have not reached the restoring procedure, stuck with creating LVM in slax:
What is needed besides dm-mod? It seems to be the only thing, but still vgscan fails.

So now I do have a locked up laptop and a PC to work :) Luckily everything is backed up...

Too bad you have a dead dvd-rom, I have made my own live version of slackware 11 that encrypts the whole partitions and install the live cd to the hard drive, it also makes the decryption boot cd, (it's the only way to decrypt the hard drive), love to have someone else test it for me. Unfortunately too, it only uses the reiserfs, and not LVM.

Solved. Slax is based on Slackware 10.2, where the kernels were 2.4. Creator of Slax upgraded the Kernel, but forgot to upgrade LVM package to LVM2, which actually uses devmapper.

This is great :) Yes, it is a great pain, when the dvd-rom is not accessible, suffer much from it.
Thank you for the answer!