Any Linux Full-Drive Encryption Tool as Convenient as BitLocker

BitLocker is a robust encryption feature, only available in specific Windows versions, including Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, Education, Windows 8 Pro and Enterprise, as well as Windows 7 Ultimate and Enterprise. The principle of BitLocker is to use TPM for boot measurement. As long as the boot process has not been tampered with, there is no need to verify the BitLocker password.

You can read Access BitLocker in Linux Ubuntu System to learn how to view files encrypted by the BitLocker. And for achieve whole disk encryption similar to BitLocker in Linux, the following two tools may help you.

Tool 1: Using LUKS Encryption

LUKS (Linux Unified Key Setup) is one of the most widely used disk encryption methods in Linux. It is seamlessly integrated into many Linux distributions during the installation process.

Users can encrypt entire partitions or drives with LUKS, and it supports multiple encryption algorithms, including AES and Twofish. LUKS also allows for passphrase-based or key-file-based authentication, making it flexible and convenient for users. The pic below illustrates how LUKS works.

Steps to use LUKS Encryption:

Step 1Install Cryptsetup: Cryptsetup needs to be installed first, following commands below.

Step 2Create Encrypted Volume: Create a new encrypted volume using command below, specifying the target device (/dev/sdd). Enter the encryption password when prompted. This password is essential in the process of Linux decryption.

Step 3Encrypt Partitions with Key Files:

First you need to generate a random key file:

Then add the key file as one of the passwords, the "/root/enc.key" is the location of key file:

Step 4Remove decryption password (Optional):

To remove normal password:

To remove key file password:

It is worth noting that, though LUKS supports multiple password protections, remember never to remove all passwords. Remain one password at least to access the device, as the removal operation is irreversible.

Step 5Open Encrypted Volume: "myusb" is the name for the volume.

Step 6Format Encrypted Volume: After opening the encrypted volume, it needs to be formatted as a filesystem for use. Using the following command to format it as the ext4 filesystem.

Step 7Mount Encrypted Volume: Mount the formatted encrypted volume to a directory.

Step 8Close Encrypted Volume: While done, close the encrypted volume using cryptsetup luksClose.

Tool 2: Using Cryptsetup

Cryptsetup is a set of Linux utilities for setting up disk encryption using LUKS. It provides command-line tools for creating, managing, and accessing encrypted volumes, offering flexibility and control to users who prefer a command-line interface. Make sure you've installed Cryptsetup, then start following steps.

Step 1Create Encrypted Volume: you can specify encryption parameters like cipher, key size, hash, iteration time, etc.

Step 2Open Encrypted Volume: In this command, "my_encrypted_volume" is the name you've assigned to the encrypted volume, which you can replace as needed.

Step 3Format Encrypted Volume:

Step 4Mount Encrypted Volume:

Step 5Close Encrypted Volume:

Conclusion:

With so many Linux full-drive encryption tools that offer convenience and robust security to choose, just pick one that meets your need. Or you can run a dual-boot Windows 10 system to access to BitLocker Drive Encryption feature.