How to manually copy home files on hdd from live-usb

Question

For reasons I won't go into on this thread, I would like to simply backup the home files on my machine using live cd.

I have downloaded a live usb, and am currently running on it now. I cannot boot into Ubuntu, and would like to rather backup my files on my hdd, and do a fresh install thereafter.

My issue is, once I log into live cd, and attempt to recover my files by using:

sudo ecryptfs-recover-private

I get the following error:

INFO: Searching for encrypted private directories (this might take a while)... find: ‘/proc/1670/task/1670/net’: Invalid argument find: ‘/proc/1670/net’: Invalid argument find: ‘/proc/2541/task/2541/net’: Invalid argument find: ‘/proc/2541/net’: Invalid argument find: ‘/run/user/999/gvfs’: Permission denied

I am able to use nautilus to browse the hdd, and the home user directory I want to copy, however, they are all encrypted.

I have been stuck on this for the whole day now and all I want to do is simply use live cd to browse my files on my hdd (decrypted), copy them to an external hdd, format my machine, and re-install ubuntu.

I am using Ubuntu 17.10, and if you must know, Kali or Katoolin took over the machine and grub. It must have overwritten major system files because it won't even boot. Not worried about that, Just want to be able to get my files from live cd (de-crypted)

Thank you in advanced.

There is no way to decrypt the files, unless you know the key. Sorry about that. — mikewhatever, Mar 23 '18 at 15:27
@Jeff I have not. Have been trying to mount and decrypt using above. Have not come across crypsetup or luks. Seems complicated — Niko, Mar 23 '18 at 15:29
@mikewhatever good thing I know the key hey? I set it today and have it written down. — Niko, Mar 23 '18 at 15:29
See https://askubuntu.com/questions/238047/how-do-i-mount-an-encrypted-home-directory-on-another-ubuntu-machine and also https://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/ubuntu-mounting-your-encrypted-home-from-livecd/ . In the future you need a backup strategy for your data as encryption, if it fails -> data loss — Panther, Mar 23 '18 at 15:37

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Mar 24 '18 at 07:12

1

I just took the hit and cleaned out the entire pc. Those links are helpful, but for my situation, there was more need to get the pc back up than to spend another day on this. Lesson understood.. Backup, which is precisely what I am doing right now.

answered Mar 24 '18 at 07:12

Niko

51

1

+1. Welcome to us who learned the lesson about backup ;-) – sudodus Mar 24 '18 at 07:16

How to manually copy home files on hdd from live-usb

1 Answers1