Messages in this thread |  | | | Date | Sun, 14 Mar 2010 12:12:06 -0400 | | Subject | Re: Linux kernel - Libata bad block error handling to user mode program | | From | Greg Freemyer <> |
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On Sun, Mar 14, 2010 at 12:02 PM, Mark Lord <kernel@teksavvy.com> wrote: > On 03/11/10 13:29, Greg Freemyer wrote: >>> >>> But really.. isn't "hdparm --security-erase NULL /dev/sdX" good enough >>> ??? >>> >> >> This thread seems to have died off. If there is a real problem, I >> hope it picks back up. >> >> Mark, as to your question the few times I've tried that the bios on >> the test machine blocked the command. So it may have some specific >> utility, but it's a not a generic solution in my mind. > > .. > > Yeah, a lot of BIOSs do a "SECURITY FREEZE" command before booting, > which disables things like "SECURITY ERASE" until the next hard reset. > > So, on a Linux system, just unplug the drive after booting, replug it, > and usually it can then be erased.
I have a client that wipes 10,000+ drives a month. (They do this as a service to banks, etc. as the machines they're in are retired, so they use 10,000+ machines to wipe those 10,000+ drives.)
They tend not to open the case, just boot via PXE/USB/CD and run a wiping tool.
Opening the case to do as you propose is not really acceptable. Also they still have a lot of IDE inside those retiring machines.
fyi: If the wipe fails for whatever reason, they do open the case and physically remove/disable/sanitize the drive.
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