Steven Stern wrote: > On 08/27/2010 11:25 PM, JD wrote: > >> Is there a Linux util to scrub free disk blocks and keep everything >> else intact ?? >> >> > > This really is an interested thread... but why do you want to scrub free > blocks? > > I can think of a few reasons: > > 1) You're running Linux in a virtual machine. Zeroing all free space > makes it easier to compress the image file. > > 2) You've been looking at something "bad" and want to make sure all > traces of it are gone before the lawyers/cops arrive. > > There are probably other good reasons, but I'm stalled out here. > > > > One thing is that if you expect the police on your doorstop, you are screwed anyway. There is NO truly secure method, other than complete pulverization, to destroy disk data. If you want to clear the free space and reuse it, then the methods described are sufficient. James McKenzie SSCP 367830 (Yes, I could give a real technical description of why but it involves a bunch of phyics and electrical stuff that usually drives folks nuts, suffice it that Data Discovery and Restore of Tucson can do what I describe to a hard drive that was trown into a fire and the heads were melted to the disk. The police got what they wanted, the disk had child porn on it and had been 'secure erased' as well.) -- users mailing list users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx To unsubscribe or change subscription options: https://admin.fedoraproject.org/mailman/listinfo/users Guidelines: http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Mailing_list_guidelines