New APIs: Support for opening LUKS-encrypted disks.

[libguestfs.git] / src / guestfs.pod

diff --git a/src/guestfs.pod b/src/guestfs.pod
index 8e3d07c..5a2e7a5 100644 (file)
--- a/src/guestfs.pod
+++ b/src/guestfs.pod
@@ -450,6 +450,37 @@ L</guestfs_chmod> after creating each file or directory.
 
 For more information about umask, see L<umask(2)>.
 
+=head2 ENCRYPTED DISKS
+
+Libguestfs allows you to access Linux guests which have been
+encrypted using whole disk encryption that conforms to the
+Linux Unified Key Setup (LUKS) standard.  This includes
+nearly all whole disk encryption systems used by modern
+Linux guests.
+
+Use L</guestfs_vfs_type> to identify LUKS-encrypted block
+devices (it returns the string C<crypto_LUKS>).
+
+Then open these devices by calling L</guestfs_luks_open>.
+Obviously you will require the passphrase!
+
+Opening a LUKS device creates a new device mapper device
+called C</dev/mapper/mapname> (where C<mapname> is the
+string you supply to L</guestfs_luks_open>).
+Reads and writes to this mapper device are decrypted from and
+encrypted to the underlying block device respectively.
+
+LVM volume groups on the device can be made visible by calling
+L</guestfs_vgscan> followed by L</guestfs_vg_activate_all>.
+The logical volume(s) can now be mounted in the usual way.
+
+Use the reverse process to close a LUKS device.  Unmount
+any logical volumes on it, deactivate the volume groups
+by caling C<guestfs_vg_activate (g, 0, ["/dev/VG"])>.
+Then close the mapper device by calling
+L</guestfs_luks_close> on the C</dev/mapper/mapname>
+device (I<not> the underlying encrypted block device).
+
 =head2 SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR WINDOWS GUESTS
 
 Libguestfs can mount NTFS partitions.  It does this using the