From mboxrd@z Thu Jan  1 00:00:00 1970
Return-Path: <liox@elso.mine.nu>
Received: from mail.saout.de ([127.0.0.1])
 by localhost (mail.saout.de [127.0.0.1]) (amavisd-new, port 10024)
 with ESMTP id 8lUO_LT5J20I for <dm-crypt@saout.de>;
 Thu, 21 Nov 2013 02:30:27 +0100 (CET)
Received: from smtp.webfixx.net (smtp.webfixx.net [178.63.59.46])
 by mail.saout.de (Postfix) with ESMTP
 for <dm-crypt@saout.de>; Thu, 21 Nov 2013 02:30:27 +0100 (CET)
Received: from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1])
 by smtp.webfixx.net (Postfix) with ESMTP id A27114F407D
 for <dm-crypt@saout.de>; Thu, 21 Nov 2013 02:25:17 +0100 (CET)
Received: from smtp.webfixx.net ([127.0.0.1])
 by localhost (smtp.webfixx.net [127.0.0.1]) (amavisd-new, port 10024)
 with ESMTP id CQcb+6QlHD67 for <dm-crypt@saout.de>;
 Thu, 21 Nov 2013 02:25:17 +0100 (CET)
Received: from [192.168.1.25] (p579E51C0.dip0.t-ipconnect.de [87.158.81.192])
 (Authenticated sender: micha@electric-solutions.de)
 by smtp.webfixx.net (Postfix) with ESMTPSA
 for <dm-crypt@saout.de>; Thu, 21 Nov 2013 02:25:16 +0100 (CET)
Message-ID: <528D60FC.4050008@elso.mine.nu>
Date: Thu, 21 Nov 2013 02:25:16 +0100
From: Michael Grosseck <liox@elso.mine.nu>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"; format="flowed"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
Subject: [dm-crypt] Restore a LUKS partition
List-Id: <dm-crypt.saout.de>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://www.saout.de/mailman/options/dm-crypt>,
 <mailto:dm-crypt-request@saout.de?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://www.saout.de/pipermail/dm-crypt/>
List-Post: <mailto:dm-crypt@saout.de>
List-Help: <mailto:dm-crypt-request@saout.de?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://www.saout.de/mailman/listinfo/dm-crypt>,
 <mailto:dm-crypt-request@saout.de?subject=subscribe>
To: dm-crypt@saout.de

Hello,

I created a luks partition for a long time with Ubuntu 10.04. Most 
likely I used following command to create it.

# cryptsetup -c blowfish-cbc-essiv:sha256 -y -s 256 luksFormat /dev/sda6

In the meantime I changed the distro to Linux Mint 13.
Now I tried to open it, but I get an error. Also if I try to dump the 
header information.

$ sudo cryptsetup luksDump -vc blowfish-cbc-essiv:sha256 /dev/sda6
Device /dev/sda6 is not a valid LUKS device.
Command failed with code 22: Device /dev/sda6 is not a valid LUKS device.

I was not sure if the drive is a LUKS device at all and I have read in 
another forum I should search for LUKS, what I did.

$ sudo dd if=/dev/sda6 | grep -a -b LUKS
0:�������?1�U�LUKS��
blowfishcbc-essiv:sha256sh 
E������֬�y[8�@��/�ā�]1b(�?K �uP�Xb6'��C��
362478668:rC�+9���\
D�#�8*tfoye�/�34ڛ�OCI[���5���E!U�3_B��%�rLUKS�
$i}�H�[g>�rw̋��G�O 
�����6��>�b��s��e$�tɞV

So indeed it seems a LUKS device, but the header is somehow corrupt.

Now I tried to make a plain mapping what unexpected really works. But 
the joy was short. I can not mount the mapped device.

$ sudo cryptsetup create -c blowfish-cbc-essiv:sha256 -s 256 crypt /dev/sda6
Enter passphrase:
$ sudo mount /dev/mapper/crypt /home/crypt/
mount: you must specify the filesystem type
$ sudo mount -t ext3 /dev/mapper/crypt /home/crypt/
mount: wrong fs type, bad option, bad superblock on /dev/mapper/crypt,
missing codepage or helper program, or other error
In some cases useful info is found in syslog - try
dmesg | tail or so

Now my question. Is there a little hope to restore the LUKS header or at 
least to read the content of this partition somehow?

Thanks for your help

Michael