# GELI Passphrase question.



## tmpdmp (Aug 9, 2016)

So after doing a normal BSD Install with ZFS mirrored to two encrypted drives, the system boots up and first asks for a "GELI Passphrase" that I had set.  Apparently I can put anything and also my password.  If I don't put my password, it skips it, boots further and THEN asks for Password for adap4 or what ever encrypted hard drive it is pointing to.  At that second request for password, if you don't put in the correct password, it wont boot and you lose an attempt.

My question is, why is GELI Passphrase being asked when it is skip able?  Better to skip that when asked and put it in later or doesn't matter if you put the password when first asked?


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## Petr Fischer (Aug 9, 2016)

The first question for password (right after BIOS) is a little helper only IMHO - because if you put password at the second stage (before mounting adap4), the password prompt is often rewrited by another messages from boot process etc., so you can completely miss it and it's inconvenient a little... In the first password prompt, there is no devices detected yet, so you can't check password againts GELI device. The best way is to enter correct password at the first prompt


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