I already use full-disk encryption on my Fedora laptop, but my desktop currently runs CachyOS alongside Windows without encryption. Entering a password every time I boot or switch systems seems inconvenient, and I'm only a casual user with no especially sensitive files on the desktop. Is it worth reinstalling everything to add LUKS encryption, or is encryption mainly useful for laptops and other devices that are easy to lose or steal?
3 Answers
You could take a middle-ground approach: leave the operating system unencrypted and put private files on an encrypted partition or external drive. That works well for things like tax documents, backups, or personal records without forcing you to unlock the entire gaming system every time it starts. Just remember that encryption can make data recovery harder if you lose the password or the drive fails, so keep separate backups.
Modern encryption usually has a very small performance cost, so gaming speed isn’t really the deciding factor. The bigger tradeoff is convenience and recovery. Since the desktop is already installed and you don’t have much sensitive data on it, I wouldn’t consider a full reinstall worthwhile solely for encryption. For future installations, though, enabling it is reasonable if the extra protection gives you peace of mind.
Full-disk encryption mainly protects your data if the computer or its drives are stolen. It’s much more valuable on a laptop that travels around than on a desktop that stays safely at home. If theft isn’t a realistic concern and you don’t keep sensitive files there, reinstalling just to add LUKS probably isn’t necessary.
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