Home directories for modern Linux systems
Summary
Lennart Poettering presents systemd-homed, which combines Linux home directories with encryption, portable identities, modern authentication and structured user records. A decades-old directory model now carries authentication, encryption and mobility at the same time. Convenient encryption comes about when key management is integrated into the normal login process.
Ideas
- User data and identity can live together in one managed volume.
- Encryption is unlocked at login and locked again at logout.
- Structured user records replace assumptions about purely local accounts.
- Portable home directories can carry an identity between computers.
Recommendations
- Test systemd-homed with an additional user account first.
- Plan recovery keys and independent backups before migrating.
References
Links to the original source and the Web Archive open in a new tab.