Double OS with full disk encryption?

Can I install two instances of Ubuntu with two separate partitions for each one and still have full disk encryption?

I will do this on a laptop that I will carry to work and also use for personal stuff at home. One instance of Ubuntu will be used at work for work stuff, the other will be use at home for my personal stuff. I'd like the two to have 2 separate passwords and the partitions with their files be separate from each other, so that if someone at work finds out my work password they still can't access my personal stuff.

2 Answers

You can indeed install multiple linux versions that each reside on encrypted partitions. "Full disk encryption" does not really mean that the entire disk is encrypted. It rather means that all partitions involved in the installation are encrypted, with the exception of a separate /boot partition. A boot partition cannot be encrypted, because the data need to be accessed during the booting process.

If the computer is powerful enough, there is a simple solution: Let the system, where you need most 'horsepower' be the main one and host system for a virtual machine.

Assume that you want the work system to be the main one.

• Install VirtualBox or KVM+VirtualBox or another tool for virtualization.

• Create a guest operating system for your home stuff. This system can reside in a virtual disk with disk encryption (with another passphrase than that of your work system).