Well, there's VT switching (i.e. Ctrl+Alt to switch to a terminal or another X session), that's part of the Linux kernel, if I'm not mistaken People just tend to associate the biggies in web browsing under Linux (Firefox and Konqueror) with "Linux" with regard to web browsing.

Well, now that we're on a new page, let's start a flame war on Firefox, Konqueror, etc. Yay!

Let us compare something useful. First, A Macintosh OSX is a Unix based OS. It has built in Secure Delete Option and even to clear free space using 35 passes. (By deleting a file, you can click Finder-> Secure Delete Files, by wiping out free space, that requires you to go to System Utilities and look out for Hard Drive Utilities or so.)

Please note that I am not sure what's the type of secure deletion the Mac OSX used for deleting a file after throwing them at Trash.


In Linux, any distro, there isnt any built in secure delete option nor is there a wipe out free space option, at least I refer to Gnome (K Desktop,Xcfe etc may have such features, I don't know as I never used them before.)

Ok- as far as to my knowledge, there isnt any built in cleaners (Secure files delete) in Linux and Windows too. However, for Windows, it is easy to Google for one such program for free. One of them, Eraser, which is a good choice for this job. Here's the link: http://www.heidi.ie/eraser/


It is licensed under GPL for eraser as the website states!


Futhermore, we could just simply right click a file and chose Erase after user have selected which mode (type) of erase they want varies from 1 pass, 7 pass or Gutmann
(35 passes).



For other Unix based OS including but not limited to Solaris etc, if any of the viewers has tried before, post it here so that we can compare the safety (Privacy) in which OS is better since I do not have any information about them.


For expert user who wants to share about mobile phones and PDA's files are deleting in truth, please reply too. (That is by sharing the information if my photo store in my mobile phone or PDAs, will it be recoverable even if I press delete.If no, what should I do??)

Thanks for those who reply in advance.

Ok, sory for my late reply. I mean the first case,namely You want a concept that is new (not older than a year) AND is not copying from Apple/Windows?.


However, I dont really care whether if the concept is not older than a year,2 or 5. The timing is "not really important" and I am just curious if such new concpt have existed before or not as we heard of Windows having DirectX technology, what Active X technology etc.

Yep- For especially Active X, it proved to be an unwise technology invented by M$ too!

Yeah-even some of them listed above links are "similar" to one that we always played. The one like Space shooting. While others are shooting the planes/spaceships, the mission here in the game shown above was to transport some goods instead.

Karting game was not seen at all by other Game Developers. (The image provided @ Stormbaan Coureur looked like one kart racing despite it's a course driving.)

You keep trying to so hard to come up with these little things that Linux doesn't do. Well guess what? You lose again!

http://www.techthrob.com/tech/securedelete.php
http://wipe.sourceforge.net/

Sure, they may be CLI tools as opposed to GUIs, but think about the type of user who would want such a thing...
Not hard for Linux either, apparently: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...e+Search&meta=

What point are you trying to make?

Linux secure file delete:

Ok, so that's not very selective...but guess what? It securely deletes the files on /dev/hda1! =)

If I'm not mistaken, its impossible to recover a file that has been deleted in the ext3 filesystem, but I could be wrong

Wrong. It IS a Unix OS.

Ever heard of a trash can? Ever heard of backups?

Sure there is: root write acces to the trash can folder.

Wipe out free space? So you want to have an option to get rid of free space on your harddrive? In other words you want to fill it up with random crap?

No. *Thank god*

You want to have a program that looks for secure files and delete them? What the... ????????

Yeah... uhm, let's not do that (Windows VS Linux).

Let your brains think? -When you are operating your camera?

No you are right.

WHahahahahahaa ROFL XD

Here's a solution to the "secure delete" debate...

Don't store child porn on your computer!

In all seriousness, though, if it's important enough that you'd want to "secure delete" it, then you shouldn't be storing it in electronic format.

If we're talking personal information (SSN, contact information, credit card #'s, etc...) then storing it is a bad idea to begin with, especially on public computers. If we're talking about illegal activities that you want to cover up, then shame on you =). If we're talking about other sensitive information (say, corporate keys or passwords), then it's a bit trickier...but definitely do-able via dd.

If it's a machine you own, create a separate partition (a small one...for storing just sensitive info), and encrypt it. When you need to wipe it, run dd on it (multiple passes, if it makes you sleep better at night). If it's not a machine you own, then don't store sensitive information on it that you're not willing to lose.

Um, Yes, Linux does come with a tool to overwrite free space. It's called dd. Rocket357's code will overwrite the entire partition. Good to use from a liveCD to securely delete a hdd before disposal.

I got this from the "Learn the DD command" thread:
I think that's the same Erase program available from PortableApps, customized to run from a flash drive.
Using the phone/pda/camera's menu to delete a file from the internal memory, forget it. If you use a memory card, however, MAYBE you can eject the card before writing to it again, put it in a separate reader to connect to a computer, then run a file recovery program on it.

Lol XD

Uhm, I can't see why not. Ext3 completely removes files. You could also just hash it up and there's no problem at all.

Say that to a pro-free-speech-journalists in China.

Is that the only reason you can find as to why someone would like the option to secure delete?

Your house must be littered with bits of paper!!

There's also BCwipe (again a commandline app).

I think i need to clarify some things. This is a Linux VS Windows thread, my point is I m not anti-Linux or Pro-Windows person. I just want to see if I got some misleading information as current time and get corrected. I would also wish to see out apart of games compatibility and some crap web-programmers that programmed exclusively for IE, why does people still unwilling to use Unix OS.

There are people who are ones who prioritized privacy above all. Recently, there is one Hong Kong celebrity with 1300 pornographic photo had leaked on the net after he got his notebook to repair. (From the look of the photo given by the press, it was widely speculated that the notebook was an Apple one.)

The reason I put that was to discourage people from taking such photos, and neither do I own any of these photos (Whether it is from celebrity or unnamed people or pictures taken by myself.)

Sure, I do not have illegal materials, BUT even if anyone tried to use a PC/Notebook for the maximum life (That's gonna take at least 10 years or so before a P2 or 486 to be completely unworkable.), it is inevitable to change a user computer. So before trying to dispose your hard drive that contains personal information, business secrets or plans in a document format, it is wise to secure delete them as I cannot afford to let others to look through my privacy!

Ok-neither do I have any business information,but this is a forum, there are many readers. So in a way, I helped these people to post in the forum.

What do you mean by this? Do you mean just drop a file into recycle bin on any distro with GUI using any Desktop Managers from KDE to Gnome to Xcfe etc and empty them.
(Just like Shift+Delete)? Or do I need to use rm command.


In a way command line is good. However, beginners may face difficulty in command line more than a guru even in installing applications.So I tried to see which function is exclusively in CLI in Linux and which are also available in GUI in Linux in general.

Nice work! So the moral of the story, never use your internal memory in your mobile device since there is no cleaners for that. I dont encourage people to use these to photograph a porn picture with your partner but let's put it this way, you take a confidential video regarding you yourself witnessing an illegal activity. You attempt to sent it to the authorities but the triad had caught you before that! (Or the authorities are bloody corrupted.)

You dont wish to be tortured and claimed innocence. BUT-> what if they had recovered your video??