1w ago

Unable to Boot into ArchLinux Today

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.

11 comments

I think you might have fucked your data.
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
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.
- Still, you've got backups, haven't you?
- 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.
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.
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 here for that.
- The command had the --decrypt option so I thought that would make it decrypt.
  I was following step 1.3 here, in trying to "decrypting LUKS2 devices in-place."
  https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Removing_system_encryption
  
  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.
Seems like you really need to provide logs...
- Stopped reading at. I don't know what the error was.
  Perhaps that would be the first place to start?
  
  "I'm trying to fly my plane, but all my instruments are dead, and I don't know where I took off from or how long I've been flying...plzhalp"
Why did you try to reencrypt your drive? Thats not typically a resolution for not being able to boot into your system.

11 comments