formatting

[Net Llama!]

On 05/28/2005 09:32 PM, Michael Hipp wrote:
> koko wrote:
>> I have dual boot Redhat and XP, boot loader is Grub, default is RH.  I 
>> am getting rid of the dual boot scenario and will have separate machines 
>> for both.  I have copied everything over to another machine on my 
>> network that I need to copy back to both OS' when I am ready.  What is 
>> the most efficient way of  wiping out both OS on my single disk?  
>> Unfortunately, all I really know is how to wipe out Windows with a boot 
>> disk on a Windows-only machine.  Since RH is the default and Grub is the 
>> boot loader, how would I proceed to clean up this machine?  Is there a 
>> command?  A disk scenario?
> 
> The simplest way might be to just use the install disk for your favorite 
> distro (RH) and use the partitioning tool to delete all partitions. You can 
> then re-partition the machine to whatever OS lands on it later.
> 
> Note that this doesn't do a secure "wipe" of the disk. Someone knowledgeable 
> could rebuild the disk files. Not sure if security is the issue or just how to 
> wipe/reload the machine.

Partitioning doesn't do anything to the MBR of a disk, nor does it 
remove any of the data on the disk.

If this person truly wants to wipe the disk clean, then dd is the only way.

-- 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
L. Friedman                       	       netllama at linux-sxs.org
LlamaLand		 		http://netllama.linux-sxs.org

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