is it ok to have master password in encrypted home folder, i.e. double encrypted?
I am using a Firefox master password on a Linux os - I assume the master pw is stored in my Home folder (which is where my FF profile is stored). My question is: if I were to use the option in Linux to encrypt my Home folder, would that cause problems in my access to / or use of Firefox password manager?
Chosen solution
Hi
Great question, hope I can help.
First off, it is worth mentioning that before encrypting a home folder that a full backup is taken just in case things go wrong.
Earlier this year, I was travelling overseas and was taking my laptop with me. I reinstalled a Ubuntu based distro and ticked the box to encrypt my Home folder and (when I installed my files, including my Firefox profile) I was still able to make use of the Firefox password manager.
(Where I went wrong was on returning and removing the need to ask for a password on login, which Ubuntu still needs to unencrypt files - this is a Ubuntu issue but did lead to a frantic command line workaround to access files using my password.)
So, in answer to your question, yes it should work fine, but make sure you have a full backup (and a distro on a USB stick) just in case you need to rebuild. In theory you should be okay (certainly based on my experience), but there are too many Linux distros to provide a concrete answer.
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Chosen Solution
Hi
Great question, hope I can help.
First off, it is worth mentioning that before encrypting a home folder that a full backup is taken just in case things go wrong.
Earlier this year, I was travelling overseas and was taking my laptop with me. I reinstalled a Ubuntu based distro and ticked the box to encrypt my Home folder and (when I installed my files, including my Firefox profile) I was still able to make use of the Firefox password manager.
(Where I went wrong was on returning and removing the need to ask for a password on login, which Ubuntu still needs to unencrypt files - this is a Ubuntu issue but did lead to a frantic command line workaround to access files using my password.)
So, in answer to your question, yes it should work fine, but make sure you have a full backup (and a distro on a USB stick) just in case you need to rebuild. In theory you should be okay (certainly based on my experience), but there are too many Linux distros to provide a concrete answer.
Thanks Seburo, and also for the tip re login and decrypting files.
I am using Linux Lite, Ubuntu-based. I do have back-up set to run!
Hopefully Home folder encryption will add a layer of security to FF password manager/master passw. Though I suppose when I'm logged in the folder is unencrypted anyway! Hmm.