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I'm thinking about encrypting my whole harddrive for example using TrueCrypt, which I've used for encrypting file containers for a while. It is possible to encrypt the whole harddisk through the program and then add a password secured bootloader before the actual bootloader.

Is it possible to do this on a dualboot system with Windows 7 and Fedora 15 currently using Grub as the main bootloader?

If so, is it possible to reinstall a system later or will that ruin the whole setup?


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migrated from stackoverflow.com Nov 17 '11 at 16:44

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Why would you want a secured bootloader before the actual one? –  Oskar Kjellin Nov 17 '11 at 16:18
Because I think that is how it's done if you do full disk encryption in the TrueCrypt program, so I assumed that would be the way to do it. How would you recommend doing it? –  Anders Hovgaard Nov 17 '11 at 16:47

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TrueCrypt doesn't support dual boot systems unless the windows boot loader is used. You can dual boot by using the TrueCrypt boot loader for Windows and chain loading Grub by pressing escape at the password request, I've done this a couple of time with XP and OpenSuSE. You need to install Grub to the boot partition not the MBR. You could then encrypt the Fedora partition.

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Okay, so they would be encrypted seperatly? So I install windows on, say, half the harddrive and encrypt it using truecrypt. How do I then chain load the Grub when installing Fedora and where should the boot loader be installed? –  Anders Hovgaard Nov 17 '11 at 17:29
Assuming Windows is already installed. –  deveneyi Nov 17 '11 at 17:34
Assuming Windows is already installed, install Fedora as a dual boot installing Grub to the root partition not the MBR. Then you may need to reinstall the Windows boot loader. Once done you can encrypt using TrueCrypt. When the password request appears press escape which will skip loading windows and should then find the next bootloader on the disc –  deveneyi Nov 17 '11 at 17:44
Okay, great. I will try that. When encrypting windows, I should only encrypt that partition, right? And then encrypt the linux partition for itself? –  Anders Hovgaard Nov 17 '11 at 17:48
Yes, that seems to be the only major limitation with TrueCrypt –  deveneyi Nov 17 '11 at 17:51

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