This is definitely a bug. And nothing's been done about it after four years. Not even - as discussed here - some simple messages to inform users that they are about to break their system and lose their data. This really is atrocious.
Users are most likely to encounter this problem because: i) Ubuntu offers disk encryption / home encryption as standard option during install ii) Users would instinctively log in as root to change a user password - "It's a security matter, isn't it? Then surely you must log in as root?" iii) There is nothing to tell the user that their system is about to break when they attempt to change their user password as root. I'm still trying to resolve this problem after a day and a night. I'm losing hair, losing money, losing my will to live. Because this sort of thing happens all the time. I've managed to unlock the lost directory using Dustin's recovery tool. But that just puts the data in a temp directory. That raises more questions. How are you supposed to turn that temp directory into a working home folder again? How do I get back to work? The recovery tool is incomplete. If only there were a tool that would simply reunite my user data with my user account. Or a tool that will change my password properly. Can anybody imagine what it is like for a user in this situation? Here's a sample of the web pages I've queried so far in my quest to get my data back and get my home folder working as it was before I attempted to change my password: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-keyring/+bug/1372144 http://askubuntu.com/questions/527085/how-recover-encrypted-home-when-lost-because-user-password-was-changed-with-root http://askubuntu.com/questions/434446/help-recovering-ecryptfs-user-data http://askubuntu.com/questions/144360/reset-login-keyring http://askubuntu.com/questions/128040/how-to-recover-my-data http://askubuntu.com/questions/256387/recover-encrypted-data-after-reinstall http://askubuntu.com/questions/60601/unwrapping-passphrase-and-inserting-into-the-user-session-keyring-failed http://askubuntu.com/questions/36573/trying-to-mount-old-encrypted-home/36783#36783 http://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/trusty/en/man1/ecryptfs-recover-private.1.html http://blog.dustinkirkland.com/2011/04/introducing-ecryptfs-recover-private.html http://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/precise/en/man7/ecryptfs.7.html http://askubuntu.com/questions/13177/how-do-i-recover-data-from-an-encrypted-home-directory/13178#13178 https://www.google.co.uk/search?client=ubuntu&channel=fs&q=what+cipher+ubuntu+full+disk+encryption+home%3F&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&gl=uk&gws_rd=cr&ei=4uUfVIWvH6Td7QbQnIA4#channel=fs&gl=uk&q=ubuntu+full+disk+encryption+key+bytes http://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/trusty/man8/cryptsetup-reencrypt.8.html http://thesimplecomputer.info/full-disk-encryption-with-ubuntu http://askubuntu.com/questions/228444/what-is-used-in-the-12-10-full-disk-encryption http://askubuntu.com/questions/94298/which-algorithm-does-encrypt-home-directory-use https://www.google.co.uk/search?client=ubuntu&channel=fs&q=ubuntu+encryption+plaintext+passthrough%3F&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&gl=uk&gws_rd=cr&ei=E_IfVNv4BOqS7Aaz9oHoCg http://askubuntu.com/questions/238047/how-do-i-mount-an-encrypted-home-directory-on-another-ubuntu-machine https://forum.kde.org/viewtopic.php?f=225&t=101981 https://www.google.co.uk/search?client=ubuntu&channel=fs&q=ecryptfs-unwrap-passphrase:+Error+attempting+to+read+encrypted+passphrase+from+file&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&gl=uk&gws_rd=cr&ei=aPUfVLjkHczg7Qa-poG4Cw https://answers.launchpad.net/ecryptfs/+question/170930 https://www.google.co.uk/search?client=ubuntu&channel=fs&q=recover+home+folder+different+username&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&gl=uk&gws_rd=cr&ei=RPcfVNTEMqPC7gaz94GgBQ#channel=fs&gl=uk&q=mount+home+folder+%22different+username%22 http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-1659183.html http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-1570707.html http://askubuntu.com/questions/72564/how-can-i-restore-a-deleted-username-using-its-old-home-folder http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-2083832.html https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/118646 http://bodhizazen.net/Tutorials/Ecryptfs/#Password https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ecryptfs-utils about:newtab https://www.google.co.uk/search?client=ubuntu&channel=fs&q=how+change+password+encrypted+ubuntu&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&gl=uk&gws_rd=cr&ei=kBMgVIyiD4OM7AbGwoHwCg#channel=fs&gl=uk&q=how+change+user+password+ubuntu+encrypted http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1984761 http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1985276 http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-1223354.html https://www.google.co.uk/search?client=ubuntu&channel=fs&q=ecryptfs-rewrap-passphrase+/home/.ecryptfs/%24USER/.ecryptfs/wrapped-passphrase+Error:+Unwrapping+passphrase+failed+%5B-5%5D&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&gl=uk&gws_rd=cr&ei=8B8gVLGRJpHd7QaDtYDYCw http://askubuntu.com/questions/488636/how-to-get-back-to-normal-after-ecryptfs-rewrap-passphrase-screw-up http://askubuntu.com/questions/319561/change-the-passphrase-of-an-ecryptfs-directory http://ubuntu.aspcode.net/view/635400140124705175104170/unwrapping-passphrase-and-inserting-into-the-user-session-keyring-failed http://askubuntu.com/questions/36573/trying-to-mount-old-encrypted-home/36783#36783 http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2073575 http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2172573 http://www.johndscomputers.com/2014/security/careful-about-changing-that-password-on-an-ubuntu-encrypted-home-file-system/ about:newtab https://www.google.co.uk/search?client=ubuntu&channel=fs&q=help+changed+user+password+as+root&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&gl=uk&gws_rd=cr&ei=sCMgVL7JLaLV7gbF5ICADA#channel=fs&gl=uk&q=help+changed+user+password+as+root+encrypted https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ecryptfs-utils/+bug/579876 Still trying. -- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu Bugs, which is subscribed to Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/579876 Title: encrypted home directory isn't mounted if password changed by another user To manage notifications about this bug go to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ecryptfs-utils/+bug/579876/+subscriptions -- ubuntu-bugs mailing list ubuntu-bugs@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-bugs
