Sanitizing using Open Source Tools

DBAN is very good and free.

Darik's Boot and Nuke ("DBAN") is a self-contained boot disk that securely wipes the hard disks of most computers. DBAN will automatically and completely delete the contents of any hard disk that it can detect, which makes it an appropriate utility for bulk or emergency data destruction.

DBAN is a means of ensuring due diligence in computer recycling, a way of preventing identity theft if you want to sell a computer, and a good way to totally clean a Microsoft Windows installation of viruses and spyware. DBAN prevents or thoroughly hinders all known techniques of hard disk forensic analysis.

The development and support of the DBAN software project is funded in part by GEEP International. GEEP is the largest, the most efficient, and the most environmentally conscientious consumer electronics recycling company in North America.

http//www.dban.org/

HTH
)

http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki//dev/zero

Thanks cymru100/neddy.

I will have a play with both.

Cheers.

Bako.

Guys,

Had no luck with dban and dd was ok, but not quite what I wanted.

Ended up using a live Ubuntu (PPC) version - Ubuntu 8.04.1 LTS (Hardy Heron) and used shred for a few passes with zeroing as the final pass.

I used the nosplash option when booting the kernel as the G4 I was working with was very fussy.
Cheers.

You might be interested in this
http//www.msfn.org/board/Hard-Drive-Secure-Deletio-t125900.html
http//www.msfn.org/board/Hard-Drive-Secure-Deletio-t125900.html&st=11
http//cmrr.ucsd.edu/people/Hughes/SecureErase.shtml
(using internal drive commands instead of software routines)

jaclaz