Over the last month, I’ve learned the following things about Ubuntu:
- Don’t try to convert an encrypted LVM into a normal partition unless you’re prepared to spend a few full days fixing the boot-up process.
- Make a concerted effort not to screw up file permissions on your home directory. Or any directory, for that matter.
- Some GNU tools like chmod, chown, cp, mv, etc. do not work on hidden files. Running “cp oldDir/* newDir/” followed by “rm -r oldDir” is a recipe for disaster if you have any files/directories that start with a full stop.
- Regularly back up your entire partition. It may seem unnecessary and a waste of time, but it’s a life saver in some situations.
- Be careful when changing your login name, and VERY careful when changing your home directory. You might want to avoid the latter altogether.
Yes, I know all this from experience. It is entirely possible to permanently decrypt an encrypted LVM; if anyone’s interested, I’ll make a tutorial, but considering that there isn’t already one on the Internet, there’s probably not much demand.