If /dev/sda is the whole disk, then (on Linux, because the naming scheme vary from one Linux to another) /dev/sda3 is the third partition on the disk. You can now wipe any disk including Windows, Linux, Mac OS X or Unix-like system. a) dd command – convert and copy a file. This method isn’t quick, but given the fact that every Linux and Unix system comes with the DD tool pre-installed, it makes this way of erasing a hard drive very accessible. Next, burn a live cd and boot your laptop or desktop from live CD. Though, you would be asked to verify your choice to erase disk on Linux entirely.

Securely wipe disk/Tips and tricks#dd - advanced example which uses OpenSSL, Securely wipe disk/Tips and tricks#Using a template file which wipes with non-random preset data(e.g.

b) shred command (secure wipe+erase) – Overwrite the specified FILE(s) repeatedly, in order to make it harder for even very expensive hardware probing to recover the data. You can wipe a partition using the same method than for the whole disk. Shred originally designed to delete file securely. You can use the wipe command in order to wipe data on a disk. This article will provide you step-by-step guide for wiping a hdd clean. The most common method for securely erasing a hard drive (aka zeroing) on Linux is done using the DD command. wipe [options] DBAN can be configured to automatically wipe every hard disk that it sees on a system, making it very useful for unattended data destruction scenarios. The first tool, and arguably one of the most important to erase disk in Linux and Mac, is dd, (Windows versions are available, but the use is slightly different). How to Format and Wipe Linux Disk Using Commands Can’t seem to clear your Linux disk space or not sure about disk formatting? DBAN can be booted from a floppy disk, CD, DVD, or USB flash drive and it is based on Linux. c) scrub command (secure wipe+erase) – Writes patterns on magnetic media to thwart data recovery. It supports PATA (IDE), SCSI and SATA hard drives. Erase disk permanently using a live Linux cd. This is an example for a HDD formatted to boot a linux system. Use the following dd command to … First, download a knoppix Live Linux CD or SystemRescueCd live CD. 4 Commands to Wipe Disk on Linux . The wipe command has the command below. Run dd command to wipe hard drive. Read this informative post about the working of different Linux commands to wipe or format the disk. How do I use the shred command? Just replace the device identifier.

overwrite a whole disk with a single file) but is very fast; Dm-crypt/Drive preparation#dm-crypt specific methods which uses … Method #1: Old good dd command. The wipe command can be used to securely erase files from magnetic media.