No way to create a PV from a LUKS volume in installer

[Roel Brook]

- Slightly related to https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/debian-installer/+bug/923552, but actually different -

In the 13.04 installer, during custom partitioning, you can create a partition, then set "Use as" to "Physical Volume for Encryption".

This creates a LUKS volume, with a ext4 filesystem inside.

It should be possible (and was, in older versions), to use the LUKS volume as a LVM Physical Volume. You can select the ext4 partition and select "Change". However, you cannot select physical volume.

Selecting "Physical Volume for Encryption" again, crashes the installer.

[Ubuntu Foundations Team Bug Bot (crichton)]

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[Roel Brook (rainmaker52)]

I have devised a workaround for this, and will share this here:

- Boot the system with a gparted CD
- Partition your disk, in my case:
    - Partition 1: 250 MB
    - Partition 2: 20 GB
- Now, luksFormat /dev/sda2 (replace with your partition):
    - cryptsetup luksFormat /dev/sda2
- Open the luks volume:
    - cryptsetup luksOpen /dev/sda2 pvCrypt
- Partition LVM:
    - pvcreate /dev/mapper/pvCrypt
    - vgcreate vgSystem /dev/mapper/pvCrypt
    - lvcreate -nlvRoot -L10G vgSystem
    - lvcreate -nlvSwap -L1G vgSystem
- Reboot with the install CD / DVD loaded
- *Before* starting setup, unlock and open the crypt. Open a terminal.
    - cryptsetup luksOpen /dev/sda2 pvCrypt
    - pvscan
    - vgchange -ay
- Install ubuntu. Enter the LVs and their respective mountpaths. /dev/sda1 will be /boot
- On first boot, the boot fails. Enter the same commands as above, followed by ctrl-D.
- In a shell:
    - echo -e "#<Target>\t<Source>\t<Key file>\t<Options>\npvCrypt\t\t/dev/sda2\tnone\tluks" >> /etc/crypttab
    - update-initramfs -u
- Reboot

[Dimitri John Ledkov (xnox)]

The workaround posted in comment #2 is sound.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.