Timeline for How do I set up an encrypted swap file in Linux?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
17 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 31, 2017 at 19:58 | history | edited | cjm | CC BY-SA 3.0 | warn that an encrypted swap file can cause system hang |
| Jun 7, 2017 at 7:09 | answer | added | Mio Rin | timeline score: 2 | |
| May 1, 2015 at 19:42 | answer | added | Timothy Butterworth | timeline score: 6 | |
| Feb 13, 2013 at 15:33 | vote | accept | cjm | ||
| Feb 12, 2013 at 21:56 | comment | added | tkbx | @cjm right, I forgot that was the problem :P | |
| Feb 12, 2013 at 21:10 | answer | added | ott-- | timeline score: 16 | |
| Feb 12, 2013 at 18:12 | comment | added | cjm | @tkbx, that would be acceptable, but I don't know how to do that. | |
| Feb 12, 2013 at 17:45 | comment | added | tkbx | @cjm could you configure it to work automatically with your login password? | |
| Feb 12, 2013 at 17:34 | comment | added | cjm | @tkbx, it is a hard drive (well, a file on a hard drive), but yes, the data is still in the file until something else overwrites it. If the swap is encrypted with a random key chosen each boot, then without knowing that key the data left in the swap file is just random garbage. It doesn't need to be overwritten to ensure security. | |
| Feb 12, 2013 at 17:32 | comment | added | tkbx | @cjm like a hard drive, data is still there but ignored? | |
| Feb 12, 2013 at 17:29 | comment | added | cjm | @tkbx, I don't believe so. That would require writing gigabytes of data every time you turn your computer off. The data in a swap file is not used when you reboot, but that doesn't mean it's erased from the disk. | |
| Feb 12, 2013 at 17:23 | comment | added | tkbx | @cjm I thought swaps were cleared when you shut down | |
| Feb 12, 2013 at 17:18 | comment | added | cjm | @tkbx, the point is to prevent someone from recovering sensitive data from the swap file after I've turned my computer off. (Or someone has been unable to guess my password, so they're rebooting into a live CD or such.) | |
| Feb 12, 2013 at 17:16 | comment | added | cjm | @ott, despite saying "swap file" in the title, if you read the directions in that post they're clearly describing a swap partition. | |
| Feb 12, 2013 at 17:12 | comment | added | ott-- | When you search for encrypted swapfile the first result leads to rayslinux.blogspot.de/2011/01/… | |
| Feb 12, 2013 at 16:51 | comment | added | tkbx | What exactly would be the point of that? It would have to be decrypted while using it, and it would be empty when not in use. | |
| Feb 12, 2013 at 16:30 | history | asked | cjm | CC BY-SA 3.0 |