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Specifically, Linux.

I would love to be able to use TrueCrypt consistently across all my machines, be they Windows or Linux. As it stands, I can do full-disk encryption with pre-boot authentication only on Windows.

I don't really understand why this is. Are there technical challenges specific to Linux/Mac that make full disk encryption harder? Does anyone know whether TrueCrypt will support this in the near future.

PS. yes, I'm aware that there are other options. My goal is to simplify my life here and use the one tool across all machines.

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Because they just haven't done it yet. They would have to support ext1/2/3/4 and reiserfs, for example. Also, what's with SWAP? Swap has to be encrypted too, or part of your data is just there (at least what you've loaded, etc).

They also have to cope for GRUB and LILO. Where do they put it in? After the boot manager? Do they modify your init.rd?

It's of course more complicated because they'd have to cope with infinite kinds of configurations. Literally everyone could have their bootloaders somewhere else.

On Windows it's all in the same place and the same everytime.

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So the other options for full-disk encryption on linux have overcome this complication, but truecrypt haven't done so yet? – cantloginfromwork May 16 '11 at 11:35
Yep, the team of TrueCrypt hasn't quite completed this yet. I don't know of any beta or alpha of this, too. So they might not even be planning it :). – sinni800 May 16 '11 at 11:36
those other options are built into linux, often at kernel level, so its simpler – Journeyman Geek May 16 '11 at 12:05
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