Skip site navigation (1)Skip section navigation (2)
Date:      Sun, 23 Feb 2020 13:11:32 +0000
From:      Mark Blackman <mark@exonetric.com>
To:        Jos Chrispijn <bsduser@cloudzeeland.nl>
Cc:        freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: rm | Cleaning up recycle bin
Message-ID:  <CFDA143D-F27C-4BC7-B619-A36462F7A378@exonetric.com>
In-Reply-To: <a589bf69-a53b-a732-08ff-74e09b723bbd@cloudzeeland.nl>
References:  <a589bf69-a53b-a732-08ff-74e09b723bbd@cloudzeeland.nl>

next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help


> On 23 Feb 2020, at 13:05, Jos Chrispijn <bsduser@cloudzeeland.nl> =
wrote:
>=20
> I read somewhere that using the rm command does not phsyically remove =
the 'deleted' files when using the command in a terminal session. Can =
you tell me how/where I can really remove these files (as per user =
account or in general)? Thanks!

What goal are you trying to achieve? The =E2=80=98rm=E2=80=99 command =
will free up the space associated with the file as long as nothing else =
is holding open the file.  The raw data will remain on the disk until =
something else needs the space. Are you looking for a secure erase where =
no data is left behind? Generally that requires removing the entire =
filesystem. There=E2=80=99s no utility which will zero out the blocks. =
The general principle is like a whiteboard that you abandon, you no =
longer expect to find the whiteboard taking up space, but what=E2=80=99s =
written on the whiteboard is not erased, just the ability to find the =
whiteboard through the filesystem.=20

- Mark




Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?CFDA143D-F27C-4BC7-B619-A36462F7A378>