Creating a encrypted directory during the server installation
Brett Alton
brett.jr.alton at gmail.com
Mon Sep 22 17:21:25 UTC 2008
Maybe it could be setup via tasksel for server deployment?
I can see how by default this would be excellent on the Desktop (e.g.:
taxes, banking information, private documents, etc.).
As a computer repair technician, it is amazing the sense of security
when Windows asks the user to enter in a password. If they leave a
computer with me and I am to backup their data (to soon wipe them to
Ubuntu ;)), they'll call me a day later stating "Oh I forgot to give
you my password." When I respond, "Its okay, I've already retrieved
your data and backed it up to DVD." They become shocked and scared
that I was able to do so, so easily with an Ubuntu LiveCD. However, if
they had a directory that was encrypted, I'd be out of luck in backing
up their data without a password. I then proceed to explain this to
them and what it means to have a "password" to an operating system,
not a hard drive.
So, +1 for me and for all those poor souls that are migrating from
Windows to Ubuntu.
Lastly, I work part-time/temporary for a school board and am an
adviser for a board member on a hospice committee and they would love
to hear how easily their nurses and doctors PCs and laptops can be
encrypted!
As most are currently aware, I apologize for the dumbing down of the
situation, but I thought some would like to hear real-world uses and
examples on an encrypted directory.
But as for the server-side, tasksel would suffice for me because if I
didn't want it on the initial install, I may want it at a later time
and tasksel would enable me to do that.
On Mon, Sep 22, 2008 at 1:09 PM, Mathias Gug <mathiaz at ubuntu.com> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> On Mon, Sep 22, 2008 at 05:07:59PM +0100, Andrew Hodgson wrote:
>>
>> I doubt I would choose this for my servers - I may add it on at a later
>> time through a command or set of commands.
>>
>
> I think that the work done by Dustin is excellent, useful and worth
> advertising as much as possible. The process to set up encrypted
> directories has been streamlined a lot thanks to his work.
>
> However I wonder if asking the user to setup encrypted directories
> during the -server installation process is useful. We try to keep the
> installer as simple and straight forward as possible for the majority of
> users. Is it worth adding another step to the installation process that
> covers only a minority of -server use cases ?
>
> The question is not whether encrypted directories are useful in a server
> environment - they are for specific use cases (login servers, file
> servers, not so much for database servers, http or mail servers) - but
> whether it's worth adding an extra step to the installation process
> asking the user to setup encrypted directories for the system.
>
> --
> Mathias Gug
> Ubuntu Developer http://www.ubuntu.com
>
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--
Brett Alton
brett.jr.alton at gmail.com
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