Today, after decrypting my encrypted drive, the system failed to boot into it.

I forget what the error said. It maybe said that it could not fine new_root or something.

I tried something like the following, by I don’t know what it does.

cryptsetup reencrypt --decrypt --header new_file device_path

I’m not sure what it does and what the --header part does. It was taking too long, so interrupted with a reboot. Now its saying their device is not a valid LUKS device.

  • MentalEdge@sopuli.xyz
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    9
    ·
    19 hours ago

    Interrupting hard drive operations is REALLY dangerous.

    Add to that the sensitivities of encrypted volumes, and I’m 90% sure your data is gone. Hope you had backups.

    You’ll probably have to re-install.

  • HelloRoot@lemy.lol
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    20
    ·
    edit-2
    23 hours ago

    I think you might have fucked your data.

    1. when you get an error like on your boot, take a screenshot, write it down, search online, ask for help with the exact error online

    2. when you don’t know what a command does, don’t run it

    Afaik the command tried to re-encrypt your drive. If you canceled it, well now you have a drive in some undetermined state and since it was reencrypting it your data is now mumho jumbo.

    • MentalEdge@sopuli.xyz
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      6
      ·
      edit-2
      19 hours ago

      The --decrypt option is used to remove LUKS encryption entirely and turn the partition into a normal storage volume.

      Interrupting that process is still likely to have irreparably damaged the volume, making it impossible to recover.

  • TheTechnician27@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    5
    ·
    edit-2
    21 hours ago

    OP, I would seriously consider trying the Arch Wiki for this. I really hope you had a backup, but you probably need expert-level advice here (at least below “paid data recovery specialist”) if you have any hope of unfucking this. Obviously you’ve learned your lesson about running random commands you don’t understand in response to an error message, so I don’t think people should be scolding you for that.

      • MentalEdge@sopuli.xyz
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        5
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        19 hours ago

        This seems reasonable. And you’re right.

        But there is absolutely no way that interrupting such an operation with a forced power-cycle can be safe. In fact it’s an almost guaranteed way to put a data partition into a irrecoverable state.

        When it comes to storage operations, you either let them fail, or complete. Interrupting file system modifications is a HUGE no-no.

  • 9tr6gyp3@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    3
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    21 hours ago

    Why did you try to reencrypt your drive? Thats not typically a resolution for not being able to boot into your system.