[gentoo-amd64] Re: Using encrypted swap via cryptsetup-luks on amd64

[Duncan]

Adrian Middleton <lists@×××××××××××.net> posted
20061021073901.3e81782e@×××××××××××××××××××××.net, excerpted below, on 
Sat, 21 Oct 2006 07:39:01 -0400:

> So I have been using this same setup perfectly for like a year until
> yesterday when I updated my system and rebooted to find that init was
> hanging when trying to mount my swap. It appears the problem occured
> because of something to do with a cryptsetup upgrade. I forgot to run
> dispatch-conf after the system update and found that my system would hang
> very early in init with 'Warning: exhausting read requested, but key file
> is not a regular file, function might never return' and an invalid
> variable 'type=luks' error. So I boot the live cd and mount the root fs
> and run dispatch-conf and find that indeed there is no longer a 'type'
> variable.

You don't mention what version of that or baselayout you are using, and
I'm not running encrypted swap tho I've always thought it'd be nice to
setup /someday/, so I can't help directly.  However, running ~amd64, I've
discovered that it's wise to run emerge --pretend --changelog <package>
for packages such as baselayout and portage, every time they want to
update, just to get an idea what's changing and how it might affect me. 
It appears you didn't do this and were taken by surprise, particularly so
having forgotten to dispatch-conf or etc-update.

Anyway, I /did/ see some changes related to that in the last baselayout
updates IIRC.  I'd suggest you check bugzilla and see what's up.  If
there's not bugs filed on the issue already, perhaps you'll want to file
one, as the number of folks using that feature is going to be relatively
small, and maybe you're the first to run into the issue.  I know I use a
couple corner-case modules (mainly macchanger) and a couple local
modifications (to the checkroot and checkfs scripts), and have been the
first to come across issues in the updates and file bugs on them, a few
times.

It's worth keeping in mind the distinction between ordinary packages where
Gentoo just packages and distributes the work of upstream, and packages
such as portage and baselayout where Gentoo /is/ upstream.  On the former,
by the time something gets into ~arch, it has normally been reasonably
well tested upstream and is a stable candidate.  On the latter, Gentoo's
own development, ~arch /is/ the testing altho they still aren't going to
release stuff that isn't working for them.  Thus, an ~arch user anyway can
expect to come across a few issues the devs didn't have the config to
test, from time to time.  Because these packages are by definition core
Gentoo packages as well, it's worth taking a bit of extra time to find out
just what is changing and be prepared for issues in those areas as one
upgrades, from time to time.

-- 
Duncan - List replies preferred.   No HTML msgs.
"Every nonfree program has a lord, a master --
and if you use the program, he is your master."  Richard Stallman

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