Automatically opening encrypted volumes at Linux startup

Automatically opening one or more volumes at Linux™ startup allows you to perform automated reboots. For an automatic unattended startup, a key file is required. For an automatic attended startup, you can also use passphrases.

Before you begin

Determine the encrypted volumes that are required during the Linux startup.

Procedure

  1. For each encrypted volume that is required during the Linux startup, you need to edit /etc/crypttab. Add an entry for each required volume.
    For examples of valid /etc/crypttab entries, read steps 6 or 7 in Creating a volume for pervasive encryption.
  2. If one or more of the encrypted volumes are required to mount the root file system, ensure that the /etc/crypttab and the referenced secure key files are included in the initial RAM disk. See your Linux distribution documentation for including additional files into the RAM disk and re-creating the RAM disk.