How do I use the dd command to do a secure erase using Try Ubuntu?
 

I'm not familiar with any sort of Linux, or Unix. I have a copy on CD of Ubuntu. I don't want to install it. I only to try it. I'm confused on how the dd commands go. I want to erase my entire 1TB drive using the dd secure erase. I am a Windows user. Would I have a drive of sda0 possibly, or how could I find that out? Do I need to create a su in order to use the dd commands?

Thank you,

It would be more usual to use the command 'shred'. This is designed for the job. It is not 100% guaranteed that someone with the money might not retrieve the data. The only way to be certain is to smash up the drive and burn it - not a joke. Shred used to be on Ubuntu live CD, probably still is.

How do I use shred? Thank you for your reply.

info coreutils 'shred invocation' and man shred will give information.Mainly you need balls of steel for what you propose to do!

Put in the Ubuntu CD and reboot. Use the sort of demonstration only, do not install mode.

You then need the name of the device you mean to shred.

sudo fdisk -l

may give an idea. It'll be /dev/sdb or something like that.

shred /dev/whatever

might work. Might have to use the --force option.

This makes me nervous just writing about it. I have never done it before myself.

I'm not really understanding. Are there an easier way that could explain this?

lugo was giving a list of commands to enter into the terminal.

Unless I misunderstood, he suggested that you:

Boot to the Ubuntu live CD

Do Not install

open the terminal

type in

and

to understand more about the shred command

then

to view a list of mounted drives.

then, carefully, use shred as outlined in the man pages to shred /dev/sd* where sd* is the 1TB hard drive you wish to erase. dd also has a function to overwrite with all 0s, but I recommend you read up before doing anything as these are powerful commands that can't be undone.

I am always amazed that people who cannot afford to shred a $80 hard disk have such important data which must absolutely not be disclosed. And yet keeping it secret is not worth $80...

jlinkels

if you ever need to know how to use a command,

I prefer a LLF dd command that will do it at secure erase. I don't know any commands.

Suggest you put in the Ubuntu live CD and let it do its demonstration thing and then from the Applications menu choose Accesories > terminal.

I'm trying to get a command line to type commands into the thing.

Then type:and post the result here.

Then people should be able to give the command to shred, or whatever, the 1T hard drive. And all that's necessary is to type it in.:)

Here's a link to a site which explains briefly using the shred command to do what you want to an entire disk. The reason you are being asked to post partition information is to show how many physical hard drives and partitions you have. You have only indicated you want to overwrite a 1TB disk but not whether it is the only disk you have or how many disk you do have. If you have multiple disks, you could easily overwrite the wrong one.

http://linuxhelp.blogspot.com/2006/0...sk-before.html