Clonezilla / Discussion / Open Discussion: How do I take a back up of a LUKS system disk without including all the unused space inside the encrypted partition?

Duncan Marshall - 2024-01-14

I have an Ubuntu system disk that is LUKS encrypted. I've seen instructions on how to drop to shell, unlock/mount the partitions, and then image those. Except that doesn't preserve the underlying partition/LVM structure.

How do I take a full disk image, without also imaging a terrabyte of empty space?

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Steven Shiau - 2024-01-16

When Clonezilla detects LUKS encryption, it will ask if you want to decrypt that. Once it's decrypt, only the used blocks will be saved.

Steven

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Duncan Marshall - 2024-01-16

Thanks, Steven.

Where do those options happen? Because I've run through the live USB a lot and I've yet to see Clonezilla even ask to decrypt the LUKS partition.

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Darryl Rowan - 2024-01-17

Hi,

I would like to know as well..

Is there a guide or tutorial on how to do this? I have found one, as I have listed on my other post, but it didn't work for me.

Thanks,
Darryl

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Steven Shiau - 2024-01-17

It's actually the same procedure as saving an unencrypted disk, like this:
https://clonezilla.org/fine-print-live-doc.php?path=clonezilla-live/doc/01_Save_disk_image

If you have LUKS (v2) device, just go through it, and you should be prompted to decrypt the LUKS device.

Steven

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- mildred ratched - 2024-02-09
  
  Never happened. Tried Debian 12 and Fedora 38. Never been asked anything. False information. Reverted to use partclone which works as expected. It's already documented on this forum so I won't re-explain it.
  
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  - Duncan Marshall - 2024-02-09
    
    I was also confused by this advice, and then I realised: I created my Clonezilla USB last decade. I downloaded the latest Clonezilla, and on that version, if you select savedisk and select the LUKS drive, there's an option asking if you want to open it, etc.
    
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    - Allen Johnson - 2024-04-13
      
      What version did you use? I am using 3.1.2-9 stable and I don't see a luks option or an open prompt.
      
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      - Duncan Marshall - 2024-04-13
        
        The contents of my Clonezilla-Live-Version file on the USB drive:
        
        clonezilla-live-3.1.1-27-amd64
        This Clonezilla live zip file was created by this command:
        ocs-live-dev -c -s --extra-boot-param quiet loglevel=0 -y 6.03 -i 3.1.1-27-amd64
        
        I can't get to it right now, because I can't reboot my machine, but I'm saving partitions if I recall, not disks. And (again from memory) it's not like there's an option that says to do it; I save the partitions and then it asks me if I want to open the LUKS partitions, or just copy the entire partition encrypted once the job is underway. Then when it comes time to do it, it asks me for passwords as it opens them.
        
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Steven Shiau - 2024-04-20

So have you finished your job? Or do you still have issues? If so, what's the issue there now?

Steven

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How do I take a back up of a LUKS system disk without including all the...

A partition and disk imaging/cloning program

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How do I take a back up of a LUKS system disk without including all the unused space inside the encrypted partition?

How do I take a back up of a LUKS system disk without including all the...

A partition and disk imaging/cloning program

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How do I take a back up of a LUKS system disk without including all the unused space inside the encrypted partition?