How to keep an encrypted home directory mounted (even after logout)

gelonida

1/21/23, 9:32 PM

Sometimes I'd like to ssh to a machine, mount my encrypted home directory and disconnect and keep the directory mounted.

What I managed already to do is

ssh to my machine (without password only public keys are allowed for security reasons)
create a tmux session
mount the file system in the tmux session
cd into the home directory
execute some script that will run for a long time
detach the tmux session
logout

if I login again and attach to the tmux session, I see, that my script continues to run as long as it uses only relative path names.

However if I access absolute path names I see, that my home directory has been unmounted.

Is there any trick to keep it mounted.

0 + 0

ssh

remote

ecryptfs

waltinator

1/21/23, 10:00 PM

That's contrary to the intent of encrypted home directories. Make a separate directory, not under `$HOME/` that will stick around.

gelonida

1/21/23, 10:12 PM

The exact intent of an encrypted home directory leaves space for interpretation. Till now I used the machine as a desktop. and if I needed the filesystem to be available I did a graphical log in, started the necessary tasks and locked the screen. reconnected and logged out when done. Now I want to remove the display and do the same over ssh access. log in, start processes (disconnect instead of locking the screen) and reconnect and unmount when done. Encrypted home directories are still very useful as stolen disks / PCs have no readable data.

Hugo

1/21/23, 10:22 PM

Could you use full disk encryption instead and leave the home directories unencrypted?

gelonida

1/21/23, 10:39 PM

This is an interesting idea for new machines However the machine is already setup so if possible I don't want to change the disk layout.

Elon Musk

I sit in a Tesla and translated this thread with Ai:

EN: How to keep an encrypted home directory mounted (even after logout)

TH: วิธีติดตั้งโฮมไดเร็กตอรี่ที่เข้ารหัส (แม้หลังจากออกจากระบบ)

RO: Cum să păstrați un director principal criptat montat (chiar și după deconectare)

RU: Как сохранить смонтированный зашифрованный домашний каталог (даже после выхода из системы)

VI: Cách giữ một thư mục chính được mã hóa được gắn kết (ngay cả sau khi đăng xuất)

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