'Hiding' a drive from Linux..?

debitcardmayhem

@[Deleted User] Yeah I meant to name it YYMMDDPictures but I thought some were yymmdd and some were mmdd and then I thought wtfpictures

prowla

In Linux you will only access the filesystems you choose to mount.

However, if you execute the "fdisk" command you will see them.

JustAnotherSaver

JustAnotherSaver said:

Where you can dual boot no problem but once you're in that OS, be it Linux or Windows, and you select "Computer" or whatever the Linux variation is, you ONLY see the drive you're in and not the other OS drive?

JustAnotherSaver said:

See, I'm not really concerned about the Windows OS not 'seeing' (showing in Computer) the Linux disk. I already know how to 'hide' another drive within Windows so I'd just do that.

My concern/question is about hiding Windows from Linux once you've booted to the Linux disk.

JustAnotherSaver said:

Again, we're still pretending this is Linux, or Linux's version of Computer.

I can only 'see' the drive that I'm in (ok I know L is showing but that's different).

This would be the preferred option.

Olinda99 said:

In fact, I THINK the OP means 'when I boot into Linux I don't want to be able to see the windows boot drive' 

Maybe they could clarify

Yes that would be a great idea actually. If only at some point during this thread I had made an attempt at clarifying that eh?

It seems some are still confused. Probably I'm using the wrong terminology although by now I think there's enough in the thread to know what's wanted & what's meant by what's said. A little like how 80 year olds can still say something like can you tape Emmerdale. We all know they just mean record even though they still use the term tape because way back when that was the term, but we don't make a deal out of it, we just record it for them. And to clarify - I said a little like, not exactly like.

ANYWAY..........

Seems like some are on track though.

Deleted_User said:

JustAnotherSaver said:

Top & bottom of it is, I don't want any access to Windows drives from within Linux.

Thanks for clarifying - that is exactly what my solution achieves in my previous comment.

Hiding a drive doesn't stop somebody accessing it whether that is in Linux or Windows.

Encrypting a drive does exactly what you have stated regardless of operating system, provided the user doesn't have the encryption key.

Tell me more about the part of your post that I highlighted bold.

I have a feeling we're going to be getting in to the portion of my OP where I said

but i'm not talking about "look at how much I know about computing" people

Although I could completely be wrong.

Anyway, to encrypt the entire drive, isn't that going to take hours & hours?

Do you need to mount the drive every time you want to get in to Windows?

And I assume you encrypt the (Windows) drive while within Windows?

Although currently, I achieve what I'm asking about (albeit on a dual Windows setup) without any encryption.

Deleted_User said:

Guessing the OP wants to hide something similar:

lol. I saw that. Haven't figured out if they genuinely have a folder called that or if they're trying to take the piddle.

debitcardmayhem

JustAnotherSaver said:

lol. I saw that. Haven't figured out if they genuinely have a folder called that or if they're trying to take the piddle.

Sorry to disappoint but there is only one poster taking the piddle , good luck with your trolling.

JustAnotherSaver

debitcardmayhem said:

JustAnotherSaver said:

lol. I saw that. Haven't figured out if they genuinely have a folder called that or if they're trying to take the piddle.

Sorry to disappoint but there is only one poster taking the piddle , good luck with your trolling.

I've seen a few of your posts calling out various members for trolling. Is that a thing of yours? Perhaps you're the one trolling?

Not sure what trolling I've done here.

Well actually I am, absolute zero. I was looking for an answer to a question, and yes an answer has been given.

If you think that me asking a question is trolling then whatever floats your boat.

onomatopoeia99

Wouldn't simply editing /etc/fstab to remove the drive / UUID containing the Windows partition from the list do this or am I missing something?

Don't need to get into all the technicalities of a graphical user interface, clicking on things, screenshots and all that when all you need to do is remove a line from a text file.   man fstab will get you started, but approach with caution.

JustAnotherSaver

onomatopoeia99 said:

Wouldn't simply editing /etc/fstab to remove the drive / UUID containing the Windows partition from the list do this or am I missing something?

Don't need to get into all the technicalities of a graphical user interface, clicking on things, screenshots and all that when all you need to do is remove a line from a text file.   man fstab will get you started, but approach with caution.

If you're asking me then no offence but your post may as well have been in Japanese (other non-English languages are available).

UUID?

fstab?

/etc?

man fstab?

Whatever you said may well work. I just don't know what you said that's all.

The encryption approach that @[Deleted User] mentioned is one method that will work.

I sort of knew at the outset that encryption would work, although that's sort of a padlock and key to a door kind of approach. Don't have the key, you're not unlocking the padlock so you're not walking through the door - but you can still see that a door is there.

Something I hadn't thought about until last night that also hasn't been mentioned here (unless I've missed it) was permissions.

I tested this out in my current setup and it works, although it's a little similar to the above. Don't have the approval to walk through the door then you're not going through there.

What I currently have in my 2x Windows setup is sort of a door without a padlock or key but the door is invisible. As it's invisible, nobody even knows it's there anyway to even bother trying to walk through it kind of thing.

There may be other approaches that I'm not aware of and I suspect there very likely are other approaches.

The 3 I mentioned all work, just differently. Some are secure but raise curiosity, others not so secure but cause no curiosity because in a way they 'don't exist'.

[Deleted User]

So this is where I go back to something asked earlier about the bigger picture of what you are trying to achieve. 

If you are the only user of said PC then I can’t understand why you would want to hide a drive. 

So I’ve made an assumption that another user will have access to the PC without your supervision and that they will be using Linux. I’ve also assumed you have sensitive data on the drive you want to hide and therefore prevent that user accessing the data. 

If that’s not the case then please clarify. 

Using your analogy….

Simply hiding the drive in Windows just moves the door out of sight, but it is still there, just a few clicks away unless you restrict the admin account. But the drive is still physically insecure and just simply removing the drive or booting from a USB will enable access to it. 

Coming from the Linux point of view, same applies, just hiding the drive just moves the door again but there are ways to find it. 

Therefore encryption is the best way forward, they unsupervised user cannot access it at all even if they physically remove the drive so it is by far the strongest solution. 

Having the drive visible - can’t see any issue with that, there is no risks of the user finding a workaround to access the data.

JustAnotherSaver

Deleted_User said:

So this is where I go back to something asked earlier about the bigger picture of what you are trying to achieve. 

If you are the only user of said PC then I can’t understand why you would want to hide a drive. 

So I’ve made an assumption that another user will have access to the PC without your supervision and that they will be using Linux. I’ve also assumed you have sensitive data on the drive you want to hide and therefore prevent that user accessing the data. 

If that’s not the case then please clarify. 

Because - and this is something I was trying to avoid getting in to because nobody is going to 'get it' and we will stick on the question of "why" forever and a day as it's not something anyone else is likely going to want to do....

But I just want it totally unlinked. Simple as that. So when you're in Linux, it's like Windows doesn't exist - no Windows drive even showing when you go to My Computer, or whatever the Linux version is called. The only connection would be the dual boot screen where you pick Linux or Windows, that's it.

No I don't need it unlinked. The world will still turn, people will live on but I just want it.

Yes there's other users. It has the additional benefit of them not tampering with anything out of curiosity because oooh this is new. What's this, what's that. Errrrr, the screens gone black and I didn't do anything honest.

Also, I appreciate this is MSE and that isn't a juicy reason so some people will dismiss it. Regardless, it is what it is and people are entitled to think what they wish.

Now we've gotten on to the why, I'm a little lost as to why the why is important. Surely "just because" would suffice?

Like saying I want a fast car.

Well why do you want a fast car?

Just because.

Yes but why? You can only do the speed limit. You drive in 30mph zones so I'm only going to recommend a Honda Jazz to you.

Well that's marvellous but I want something doing 0.60 in sub 5 seconds, not 5 months. Why? Just because. Do I need it? No. Do I want it? Yes.

Deleted_User said:

So this is where I go back to something asked earlier about the bigger picture of what you are trying to achieve. 

If you are the only user of said PC then I can’t understand why you would want to hide a drive. 

So I’ve made an assumption that another user will have access to the PC without your supervision and that they will be using Linux. I’ve also assumed you have sensitive data on the drive you want to hide and therefore prevent that user accessing the data. 

If that’s not the case then please clarify. 

Using your analogy….

Simply hiding the drive in Windows just moves the door out of sight, but it is still there, just a few clicks away unless you restrict the admin account. But the drive is still physically insecure and just simply removing the drive or booting from a USB will enable access to it. 

Coming from the Linux point of view, same applies, just hiding the drive just moves the door again but there are ways to find it. 

Therefore encryption is the best way forward, they unsupervised user cannot access it at all even if they physically remove the drive so it is by far the strongest solution. 

Having the drive visible - can’t see any issue with that, there is no risks of the user finding a workaround to access the data.

What I highlighted bold.

but i'm not talking about "look at how much I know about computing" people

I did say I may be wrong but it looks like I'm not going to be on that point.

While I agree with you - encryption is the most secure method and yes there are 'ways' of undoing what I've mentioned, especially if the user has admin rights, I am talking about Joe Bloggs. Your average PC user. Go on, browse YouTube a bit, send an email or two, print a bit off.

Now I accept average PC user could mean anything to anyone. If the circles you move in are full of IT boffs then you're going to think what you said is normal for anyone on the street.

My experience of your regular desktop PC user is not that though.

Remove a drive? Which one? How do I do that? If I can even remove it without breaking something, what do I then do with it?

That's my experience.

Therefore, safe enough.

BUT the only thing I've understood in all of this is what I said about permissions and what you said about encryption. Some of that other terminology has just gone over my head.

So it'll have to be encryption then as that's all I've understood so far.

So thanks. 

[Deleted User]

JustAnotherSaver said:

Because - and this is something I was trying to avoid getting in to because nobody is going to 'get it' and we will stick on the question of "why" forever and a day as it's not something anyone else is likely going to want to do....

I understand where you are coming from, completely.

However my 30 year career in IT has taught me a few things, I currently look after IT service delivery, a job that involves providing solutions for users.

1. What a user asks for is almost certainly not what they need. 
   
   
2. Users have a habit of thinking of solutions to problems and asking for that instead of presenting a problem and trusting people that are skilled and knowledgeable in IT providing them with the best solution.
   
   
3. Failure to ask "why?" is a huge mistake and results in delivering poor IT solutions.
   
   
4. It is infrequent that I come across new IT problems that haven't been solved before and therefore trying to find the unicorn solution that the user is asking for is a waste of time. Somebody, somewhere in the world has had exactly the same problem and there is already an adequate solution.
   
   
5. Users that insist on getting their unicorn solution are never satisfied with the outcome and come back and ask for changes.

 
So like I said, I completely understand your position, I deal with users like yourself for my day job, but having the experience to ask the right questions means I can deliver more than they want and generally exceed their expectations.

So based on what you said in your last post, I stand by the drive encryption method as the solution, there are no drawbacks, no risks, no workarounds that allow access, it is a solid solution and totally transparent to you as a user.

It is also good practice to encrypt all your data anyway, I've been doing it for the last decade so I'm always surprised at the reluctance to do this.