Why do you format?

[Skorzen]

Hello, folks!

First of all, I've search and didn't find anything related to this. So, let's start.

As we all know, GNU/Linux is a stable and secure system. It's not much vulnerable to malware or other kind of crap.

So, my question here is simple: why do you format your hard disk? How often do you do it? Give me reasons!

[Eisenwinter]

One reason would be to experiment with other operating systems, try them out.
Another reason would be a hard system customizition, and wanting to get a fresh default installation.

[Skorzen]

Thanks for the reply.


One reason would be to experiment with other operating systems, try them out.

You can try different OSes on a virtual machine.


Another reason would be a hard system customizition

You can do that in your current installation, without need for formatting.

[Eisenwinter]

Of course, but some would rather just format.

[Engnome]

I'll be wiping my 3 operating systems from my laptop for a very different reason soon. I'll overwrite everything with random data, then zero the harddrive and then reinstall with as much encryption as I can before crossing the border into the USA.

I'll also install windows and then hide grub so that they won't tell me to go back to Sweden just because I refuse to type in my password and unencrypt the harddrive for them. Hopefully then won't go farther than copy the windows partition.

To bad there's no way of getting around having to leave your fingerprint and having your picture taken...

[jbaerbock]

I have yet to have anyone copy my HDD lol. If they tried well goodluck cracking my security and passwords :D (I make em evil).

[keiichidono]

O_O what do you guys have on your computer that the security guards at the air port need to check for and why do you need to encrypt it and take such extreme security measures? O_O!

[Biochem]

O_O what do you guys have on your computer that the security guards at the air port need to check for and why do you need to encrypt it and take such extreme security measures? O_O!

US border patrol can randomly take computers and make a copy of all data on it and stor it indefenitly for future use. Once it's in their hands who knows who has acces to it. So any confidential file are not confidential any more (either they be work related, your credit card number or simply indecent picture of your 33 YO girl friend).

Of course, if you have the right to object but then it's a one way ticket back to where you came from and cavity search every time you will want to go to the USA again. Unless your name is Arar, then your deported to Syria for "muscled interrogation"

[Skorzen]

Bump!

Don't let it die!

[madjr]

i never format unless am happy with a new ubuntu version.


With windows i used to format every 4 months because the pc got sluggish and full of crap/malware

[jbaerbock]

Must....keep...it....alive! lol

[gameryoshi600]

To start fresh.

[LookTJ]

I mainly reformat to start fresh installation. I haven't reformatted in awhile though.

[gameryoshi600]

By the way, I use DBAN (http://dban.sourceforge.net/) to wipe my harddrive.

[quanumphaze]

I would format to change the partition setup, especially when decreasing the partition size. Like making a separate /home part.

[macogw]

US border patrol can randomly take computers and make a copy of all data on it and stor it indefenitly for future use. Once it's in their hands who knows who has acces to it. So any confidential file are not confidential any more (either they be work related, your credit card number or simply indecent picture of your 33 YO girl friend).

Of course, if you have the right to object but then it's a one way ticket back to where you came from and cavity search every time you will want to go to the USA again. Unless your name is Arar, then your deported to Syria for "muscled interrogation"

I'm a US citizen, and I intend to PGP my private stuff before crossing the border. I'll need somewhere other than on my hard drive to store my private key though...

[quanumphaze]

Why don't you take out the hard disk when you cross the US border?

Take it out and put it into the luggage and use a dummy disk in the laptop with anything you want to play with for the trip. If they search your luggage to you should send it by mail.

There are always risks when just encrypting you disk. What if you happen to get a smart guard who knows his stuff?


ɥɔɹɐǝs ʎʇıʌɐɔ ɹǝƃuıɟ ǝʌıɟ :ɹǝʍsuɐ

[perlluver]

I format my hard drive about every week, because I can't keep a system for more than one week. Oh well, going to stop that, probably mess up my hard drive.

[Ioky]

fresh installation of OS. mainly upgrade. except for Arch Linux. because I don't need to. unless, I screw everything up, and the time I will need to fit all the problem is long then a fresh installation.

[macogw]

Why don't you take out the hard disk when you cross the US border?

Take it out and put it into the luggage and use a dummy disk in the laptop with anything you want to play with for the trip. If they search your luggage to you should send it by mail.

There are always risks when just encrypting you disk. What if you happen to get a smart guard who knows his stuff?

I'm also turning off GDM so it's a text system. Dummy account if the ask for the login with no access to my real home directory. My private key will probably be on some other form of storage. There are many ways to hide things. The encrypted files don't have to end in .pgp...or continue to live in my ${HOME}...they could be somewhere buried under /opt/ and end in .so

[brons2]

By the way, I use DBAN (http://dban.sourceforge.net/) to wipe my harddrive.

Me too. It's the best.

We use it to wipe old drives at work too. Our old PC's get surplused to schools and non-profits so we have to make sure all our data is gone first. But we don't have budget to spend on some big commercial solution so DBAN it is!

[jrusso2]

US border patrol can randomly take computers and make a copy of all data on it and stor it indefenitly for future use. Once it's in their hands who knows who has acces to it. So any confidential file are not confidential any more (either they be work related, your credit card number or simply indecent picture of your 33 YO girl friend).

Of course, if you have the right to object but then it's a one way ticket back to where you came from and cavity search every time you will want to go to the USA again. Unless your name is Arar, then your deported to Syria for "muscled interrogation"

I have heard this happens by the Canadians when you cross from the USA into Canada.

[Ub1476]

Usually wipe my HDD when new Ubuntu come out, then I find it to "easy", and install Archlinux again.

I'm going to Houston tomorow. I got all my data stored on an external HDD, which I'll put in the luggage. Should I worry? Encrypt it and so on (it's a bit of a hassle to backup all the data from the external HDD..)?

[MONODA]

I format whenever I feel I need a fresh start or when I want to organize my hd partitions. eg: sda4 is the 3rd partition while sda3 is the 4th.

[HunterThomson]

I formanted my HDD last weekend when installed Arch Linux:)

Encryiptions at the borter could cause more problems then it would solve... Well as far as whole disk encryiption... Mabe hidden encryipted files with truecryipt but I think the whole point is to not give the US anything... So, formating and overwrighing all the data sounds like a much better idea.

Also, from what I understand there are no programs to recover data from SSD's... yet... so all you have to do is delete and it is really gone:)

[sujoy]

i format only if i need to change my partition size. or install a different distro.
my last format was on feb ... installed arch :)