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My home directory is encrypted using ecryptfs. I have recently started getting I/O errors when I try to access some files on that file system:

aix@aix:~/.evolution/mail/imap/acct/folders/INBOX$ cat 130395.HEADER
cat: 130395.HEADER: Input/output error

/var/log/messages has the following to say:

Oct 11 11:05:38 aix kernel: [138537.991670] Either the lower file is not in a valid eCryptfs format, or the key could not be retrieved. Plaintext passthrough mode is not enabled; returning -EIO

Two questions:

  1. How do I fix this?
  2. How do I prevent this happening in the future?

I'm using Ubuntu 10.10.

jrg
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2 Answers2

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I am exepriencing the same issue, and I found this thread: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ecryptfs/+bug/509180?comments=all

Especially interesting is the fact that corrupted RAM could cause to disk issues for the encrypted areas: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ecryptfs/+bug/509180?comments=all

Haven't gotten around to check if it works for me tho.

Gustavo Zaera Holo
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I'd the same problem. I've a python script that reads certain files. When trying to access the files, in the encrypted directory, I got the Input/Output error message.

Basically, the mistake was in encrypting the directory with the files in it. That is, mounting the directory and its content all at once.

The steps are as follows:

  1. make an empty directory, the one to be encrypted (mounted).
  2. encrypt (i.e. mount) the empty directory of the prev step.
  3. Finally, move the files to the mounted directory.

Following this procedure, I managed to access the files without the Input/Output error.

Arraval
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