This is a placeholder to compile information regarding several cases with initramfs and cryptsetup that we have seen in a short period of time. Usually after the user does an upgrade with Gnome software.
All 3 cases so far share the same story: Users cannot unlock LUKS after a recent update, and are dropped to recovery shell.
They can only unlock LUKS and login via advanced options in GRUB with an older kernel.
All 3 cases were reported in less than two weeks
**Case 1**
Machine fails unlock encrypted partition, after failed attempts machine drops to initramfs.
User was asked to try to boot in graphic mode with an older kernel via advanced options in GRUB and run the following commands:
- `sudo dpkg --configure -a`
- `sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade`
- `sudo update-initramfs`
`dpkg --configure` and `full-upgrade` revealed no errors
sudo update-initramfs revealed the following error:
```
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-4.19.0-5-amd64
cryptsetup: WARNING: Resume target luks-1a9af0c3-db46-4947-8b83-5ad57975ad15
uses a key file
```
**These are the user crypttab and fstab files**
```
/etc/crypttab: mappings for encrypted partitions.
<name> <device> <password> <options>
luks-991a8170-d20f-48dc-b858-2ffb86d8dada UUID=991a8170-d20f-48dc-b858-2ffb86d8dada /crypto_keyfile.bin luks,keyscript=/bin/cat
luks-1a9af0c3-db46-4947-8b83-5ad57975ad15 /dev/disk/by-id/wwn-0x500a0751e1d8a59f-part3 /dev/urandom swap,cipher=aes-cbc-essiv:sha256,size=256
```
```
/etc/fstab: static file system information.
<file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>
UUID=b64b86f5-1c85-4761-bb38-0007cf00925f /boot ext4 defaults,noatime,discard 0 2
/dev/mapper/luks-991a8170-d20f-48dc-b858-2ffb86d8dada / ext4 defaults,noatime,discard 0 1
/dev/mapper/luks-1a9af0c3-db46-4947-8b83-5ad57975ad15 swap swap defaults,noatime,discard 0 2
tmpfs /tmp tmpfs defaults,noatime,mode=1777 0 0
```
---
**Case 2:**
Machine fails unlock encrypted partition, after failed attempts machine drops to initramfs
User was asked to try to boot in graphic mode with an older kernel via advanced options in GRUB and run the following commands:
- `sudo dpkg --configure -a`
- `sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade`
- `sudo update-initramfs`
`dpkg --configure` and `full-upgrade revealed no errors
`sudo update-initramfs` revealed the following error:
{F286341}
**These are the user crypttab and fstab files**
```
/etc/fstab: static file system information.
<file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>
UUID=7e307419-1fb1-42c2-b2c7-959957a77790 /boot ext4 defaults,noatime,discard 0 2
/dev/mapper/luks-24cee226-f119-4e37-8b2c-67de537e66fe / ext4 defaults,noatime,discard 0 1
/dev/mapper/luks-16eaa33b-133f-49be-8624-24bc7d2e767a swap swap defaults,noatime,discard 0 2
tmpfs /tmp tmpfs defaults,noatime,mode=1777 0 0
```
```
# /etc/crypttab: mappings for encrypted partitions.
<name> <device> <password> <options>
luks-24cee226-f119-4e37-8b2c-67de537e66fe UUID=24cee226-f119-4e37-8b2c-67de537e66fe /crypto_keyfile.bin luks,keyscript=/bin/cat
luks-16eaa33b-133f-49be-8624-24bc7d2e767a /dev/disk/by-id/wwn-0x5002538e4052606c-part3 /dev/urandom swap,cipher=aes-cbc-essiv:sha256,size=256
```
---
**Case 3:**
Machine fails unlock encrypted partition, after failed attempts machine drops to initramfs
Status: Still waiting on information from the user
---
**Why create this issue:**
Although these problems reported here are probably a bug that needs investigating.
We have some users that are affected by this and waiting for a reply from us regarding this issue. And we need some input about options to recommend to the affected users to restore their systems other than just say: reinstall the system from scratch.
---
@jonas.smedegaard already suggested that:
this all looks like an issue with PureOS - particularly with how the installer creates cryptsetup (and possible related to LUKS v2 not working well with GRUB: https://cryptsetup-team.pages.debian.net/cryptsetup/encrypted-boot.html ).