From Newsgroup: alt.os.linux.slackware

Hello!

I plan to install Slackware with encrypted root using GRUB (no LVM at
this time).

https://slackware.uk/slackware/slackware-15.0/README_CRYPT.TXT

That mentions that I need to create a special initrd for that case.

This specifies a kernel version. What happens when the kernel is being
updated and the old one removed?

Do I need to issue this command every time I update a kernel?

What happens to GRUB?
Does it need special handling of that case?
Is running grub2-mkconfig enough, like with unencrypted root?
--
kind regards
Marco

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From Newsgroup: alt.os.linux.slackware

On Sun, 21 Sep 2025 09:44:11 +0200, Marco Moock wrote:

This specifies a kernel version. What happens when the kernel is being updated and the old one removed?

Example from the Slackware 15.0 ChangeLog.txt:

-8<-----------------------------------------------
+--------------------------+
Fri Sep 12 22:15:36 UTC 2025
...
patches/packages/linux-5.15.193/kernel-generic-5.15.193-x86_64-1.txz: Upgraded.
...
Be sure to upgrade your initrd after upgrading the kernel packages.
If you use lilo to boot your machine, be sure lilo.conf points to the
correct kernel and initrd and run lilo as root to update the bootloader.
If you use elilo to boot your machine, you should run eliloconfig to
copy the kernel and initrd to the EFI System Partition. -8<-----------------------------------------------

So, if you are using an initrd you will need to update that one at each
kernel upgrade regardless of any root file system encryption.

I hope someone more familiar with grub will be able to answer your other question.

regards Henrik
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From Newsgroup: alt.os.linux.slackware

On 21.09.2025 12:54 Uhr Henrik Carlqvist wrote:

So, if you are using an initrd you will need to update that one at
each kernel upgrade regardless of any root file system encryption.

Now the next question occurs:

Do I really need an initrd in the case /boot is just a regular ext4
partition, so the kernel can be loaded without using LUKS?

I would prefer the simplest way to achieve that.
--
kind regards
Marco

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From Newsgroup: alt.os.linux.slackware

On Sun, 21 Sep 2025 16:16:34 +0200, Marco Moock wrote:

Do I really need an initrd in the case /boot is just a regular ext4 partition, so the kernel can be loaded without using LUKS?

From https://slackware.uk/slackware/slackware-15.0/README_CRYPT.TXT :

-8<--------------------------------
A big NOTE finally. When you encrypt your root filesystem, you will have
to make sure that there will be at least one (small) partition which is
left unencrypted. This partition must contain the kernel(s) you want to
boot from, and the initrd image that is needed with encrypted volumes.
You need to install LILO either to the MBR - or if that is not possible,
into the root sector of this small unencrypted partition. You will
probably guess why we cannot use an encrypted partition for this... -8<--------------------------------

So yes, to encrypt your root file system it seems that you do need an
initrd. If you only were to encrypt something like the /home partition it would have been enough to boot a huge kernel without any initrd.

regards Henrik
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