[Tfug] A question on encrypted home directories...

[Zack Williams]

On Sat, Mar 6, 2010 at 10:21 AM, Jim March <1.jim.march at gmail.com> wrote:
> Folks,
>
> I've rebuilt my system as 32bit using Linux Mint - had an app I had to
> run that doesn't work in 64bit (long story).
>
> To improve performance I avoided whole disk encryption and gone with
> an encrypted /home.
>
> Here's my question, and it's possibly a stupid one: in Ubuntu it's
> laughably easy to reset one's user password.  Right?  All you do is go
> into recovery mode, reset the password.
>
> Can I safely assume that will have no effect on the key to the
> /home/jim directory?!?

Here's a pretty complete rundown of how it works:

http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7568/1/

I'm not sure how ubuntu keeps track of saved passwords.  If it's well
designed, changing an unknown account password won't cause other
passwords to be revealed.

 - Zack