Bug 769075 - upgrading an encrypted system destroys home partition
Summary: upgrading an encrypted system destroys home partition
Keywords:
Status: CLOSED INSUFFICIENT_DATA
Alias: None
Product: Fedora
Classification: Fedora
Component: anaconda
Version: 16
Hardware: Unspecified
OS: Unspecified
unspecified
urgent
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: Anaconda Maintenance Team
QA Contact: Fedora Extras Quality Assurance
URL:
Whiteboard:
Depends On:
Blocks:
TreeView+ depends on / blocked
 
Reported: 2011-12-19 21:16 UTC by Need Real Name
Modified: 2012-01-02 20:52 UTC (History)
5 users (show)

Fixed In Version:
Doc Type: Bug Fix
Doc Text:
Clone Of:
Environment:
Last Closed: 2011-12-19 22:44:57 UTC
Type: ---


Attachments (Terms of Use)

Description Need Real Name 2011-12-19 21:16:44 UTC
Description of problem:
anaconda offers me the choice to upgrade an existing system. i enter my passphrase. it (probably) warns me that i will destroy some data - good, i want to upgrade the system (partition) after all.

if you click the option to review the changes before proceeding, you are faced with the horrible realisation that the /home partition will be formatted.

not good.

Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):


How reproducible:


Steps to Reproduce:
1.
2.
3.
  
Actual results:
destroy /home partition on upgrade

Expected results:
do not destroy my /home partition, just upgrade the system!

Additional info:

Comment 1 David Lehman 2011-12-19 21:55:47 UTC
Anaconda does not format any filesystems when performing an upgrade.

Please attach the following log files, individually, as text/plain:

 /tmp/anaconda.log
 /tmp/storage.log
 /tmp/program.log
 /tmp/syslog

They are accessible from the shell on tty2, which you can reach by pressing <ctrl>+<alt>+<f2>.

Thanks.

Comment 2 Need Real Name 2011-12-19 22:20:34 UTC
I thought anaconda formatted at least the system partition.

Does it even not format filesystems that are encrypted?

I don't have those files any more - sorry. I've done a fresh reinstall.

Comment 3 David Lehman 2011-12-19 22:44:57 UTC
(In reply to comment #2)
> I thought anaconda formatted at least the system partition.
> 
> Does it even not format filesystems that are encrypted?

It absolutely does not format any filesystems during an upgrade.

During a fresh install it does at least reformat the root filesystem.

> 
> I don't have those files any more - sorry. I've done a fresh reinstall.

Okay. I'm going to have to close this due to a lack of information, then.

Comment 4 Samium Gromoff 2011-12-24 16:01:40 UTC
I've been basically run into the almost same scenario as the original bug reporter, by the install process.

Similarities to his situation:

1. Upgrading using the install process.
2. Encrypted /home partition (LUKS).
3. Not being careful enough during install.

Was upgrading from F15.

I have been quickly clicking through the anaconda's dialogs, expecting
that I'd be offered to upgrade at some point.

This never happened, as, apparently, anaconda has failed to detect the existing
F15 install.

Still, at the point of partitioning/formatting I was operating under assumption
that it did operate in "upgrade" mode, and happily agreed to lose all my
precious data.

I was very sad.

Comment 5 Samium Gromoff 2011-12-24 16:06:20 UTC
BTW, I suggest that no detected[1] /home is ever reformatted, and is instead
taken over, with content moved to a per-user subdirectory, say ~/old-home.

--
1. ..hopefully, such detection can be made more reliable than detection of
existing Fedora installs..

Comment 6 Need Real Name 2012-01-02 20:52:04 UTC
I suggest the existing encryption key be reused and my /home partition not formatted.


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