I do the same. This thread is a keeper, though -- thanks for the tips, everyone!uncle mark wrote: ↑Mon Jun 17, 2019 12:33 pm I always use dd to write zeros to the entire drive, then use gparted to write a new msdos partition table and format to fat32.
"Fixing" problem USBs
Re: "Fixing" problem USBs
Re: "Fixing" problem USBs
cheap USB sticks are not worth the hassle, the firmware tends to be tweaked hence unreliable to use as a boot stick
you can also use shred with care to put the drive out of its misery
shred -n 666 /dev/sd[USB device]
you can also use shred with care to put the drive out of its misery
shred -n 666 /dev/sd[USB device]
Linux user since 1999, on-line 1993
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Dtop#1: XU20 AMD-FX6300, GT730
Dtop#2: MX19 AM3ATH2X2, GT218-8400
Ltop#1: MX21 T500
Ltop#2: MX19 T440
Ltop#3: MX19 NC6400
Ltop#4: XU18 NC4400
Ltop#5: Sparky32 T30
Ltop#6: MX21 Acer E5
Re: "Fixing" problem USBs
1) How would you recommend we automatically identify backup drives and drop them from the list? You seem to be making the false argument that since perfect safety is impossible then all attempts to provide safety are useless.Head_on_a_Stick wrote: ↑Tue Jun 18, 2019 2:38 pm Well I don't really agree that the live-usb-maker tool is necessarily any safer than the simple commands I listed because the all it does it list any connected drives that have "1" in /sys/block/sdX/removable and this would include any USB-attached drives.
2) We have several other safety measures in place. I admit we cannot prevent someone from wiping their backup drive when it is not in use but I don't think any program can. There are many many dire situations that we do prevent.
3) if the user is the first party and MX/antiX is the third party then who is the second party?
"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself -- and you are the easiest person to fool."
-- Richard Feynman
-- Richard Feynman
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Re: "Fixing" problem USBs
How about prompting the user to insert the troublesome USB stick and then only offering to wipe the newly-inserted device?
I am arguing that it's better for the user to understand /dev/ and how devices are assigned and to check for themselves that the correct drive is being operated on.
I am not claiming that your attempts to provide safety are "useless", I'm just pointing out that the safety provisions are far from perfect and should not be relied upon absolutely.
Debian, the Linux kernel and the core system utilities upon which you build your "helper" abstractions and pre-configuration.
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Re: "Fixing" problem USBs
Another nice idea. That would indeed add a further layer of safety to the USB handling processHead_on_a_Stick wrote: ↑Sun Jun 23, 2019 9:44 amHow about prompting the user to insert the troublesome USB stick and then only offering to wipe the newly-inserted device?
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Re: "Fixing" problem USBs
+1fehlix wrote: ↑Sun Jun 23, 2019 9:51 amAnother nice idea. That would indeed add a further layer of safety to the USB handling processHead_on_a_Stick wrote: ↑Sun Jun 23, 2019 9:44 amHow about prompting the user to insert the troublesome USB stick and then only offering to wipe the newly-inserted device?
"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself -- and you are the easiest person to fool."
-- Richard Feynman
-- Richard Feynman