this post was submitted on 16 Jan 2025
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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Do you encrypt your drives and why or why not? (lemmy.ml)
submitted 1 day ago by monovergent@lemmy.ml to c/linux@lemmy.ml
220 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

I was recently intrigued to learn that only half of the respondents to a survey said that they used disk encryption. Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows have been increasingly using encryption by default. On the other hand, while most Linux installers I've encountered include the option to encrypt, it is not selected by default.

Whether it's a test bench, beater laptop, NAS, or daily driver, I encrypt for peace of mind. Whatever I end up doing on my machines, I can be pretty confident my data won't end up in the wrong hands if the drive is stolen or lost and can be erased by simply overwriting the LUKS header. Recovering from an unbootable state or copying files out from an encrypted boot drive only takes a couple more commands compared to an unencrypted setup.

But that's just me and I'm curious to hear what other reasons to encrypt or not to encrypt are out there.

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[–] patatahooligan@lemmy.world 55 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Who's gonna come at me with a $5 wrench because they really want my data, though? The attack I'm most likely to experience is someone stealing my laptop while I'm out traveling. That's what full filesystem encryption solves best.

[–] Valmond@lemmy.world 26 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Or per XKCD, where are they finding a wrench for $5??

[–] timroerstroem@feddit.dk 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Here's one for less than 4 USD. I imagine 150 mm in length would be sufficient.

[–] Valmond@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago* (last edited 20 hours ago) (1 children)

Wow that's cheap!

Watch out crypt nerds!

Edit: crypto, not crypt! Leaving it 🧟‍♀️

[–] netvor@lemmy.world 5 points 21 hours ago

It's much worse: They can re-use the same wrench.

(Disgusting, I know... 😝 )

[–] d00phy@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I’d imagine you could get a decent bludgeoning wrench for around that at a pawn shop. Doesn’t need to be super functional. A pipe wrench in need of some rehabilitation would work nicely.