Delete files securely on a journaling filesystem.

Do you happen to be using Ext3 or Ext4 as the file system? If so, you should see the FAQ at http://ext4.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/Frequently_Asked_Questions and read "4.4 Can I undelete files in Ext4?" which says "No, in the same way that the ext3 journal requirements to be consistent after a crash prevent undelete of ext3 files, it isn't possible to undelete ext4 files."

If you follow the "Undelete in ext3 files" link, will bring you to http://ext4.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/Undeletion which does list software that attempt to undelete files "with varying success". So, perhaps it is still theoretically possible to undelete the files.

I realize this isn't quite the "wipe" answer you where looking for, but it's certainly something to keep in mind.

Best of luck,
George

Best practice would be to encrypt disk (partition) or content of file before saving (like in gedit).
http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/wiki/Security/Encryption
http://sun.systemnews.com/articles/137/1/OpenOffice/21921
http://selliott.org/encryption/openoffice

http://www.sun.com/software/staroffice/faqs.jsp#t2

btw.
http://www.nber.org/sys-admin/overwritten-data-gutmann.html

Also,
I have my home directroy encrypted with ecryptfs..
Does that mean that even if it was not encrypted (with like gpg) and
they took my hdd they would see a whole bunch of garbage?

Now how do I encrypt the whole partition?

On 2/20/10, Sam <email address hidden> wrote:
> Your question #101681 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/101681
>
> Sam proposed the following answer:
> Best practice would be to encrypt disk (partition) or content of file before
> saving (like in gedit).
> http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/wiki/Security/Encryption
> http://sun.systemnews.com/articles/137/1/OpenOffice/21921
> http://selliott.org/encryption/openoffice
>
> http://www.sun.com/software/staroffice/faqs.jsp#t2
>
> btw.
> http://www.nber.org/sys-admin/overwritten-data-gutmann.html
>
> --
> If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
> know that it is solved:
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http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/6168/

I just zero-filled my HDD (2 pass) and I set up the encryption with
the alternate install.

I also encrypted my home directory, and encrypted the files that are
confidential with GPG (4096 bit key) :P

So I think that I got my system pretty secure!
Oh, I have a BIOS password too :)

Now do you think that the encryption with the patition from the
alternate install is slowing write/delete speeds? I'm sure that it's
probably a placebo effect but it seems like it is to me.

But thanks for all your help.

On 2/20/10, Sam <email address hidden> wrote:
> Your question #101681 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/101681
>
> Sam posted a new comment:
> http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/6168/
>
> --
> You received this question notification because you are a direct
> subscriber of the question.
>

Thanks Sam, that solved my question.

> slowing write/delete speeds

Refer to comments.
http://www.hermann-uwe.de/blog/howto-disk-encryption-with-dm-crypt-luks-and-debian#comment-49590

btw.
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuWeeklyNewsletter/Issue180#Interview%20with%20Dustin%20Kirkland,%20Ubuntu%20Core%20Developer%20about%20encryption%20in%20Ubuntu

Hey there, I just say these posts after looking around, sadly, it is far too easy to recover files on ext3 or 4 files systems even after they have been overwritten even 10's of times. I am paranoid of leaving traces of anything on my computer, (25 years of USAF SIGINT/COMINT Intel experience) so I have been looking for ways to wipe files. I have used rm, srm (38 passes) and also bleachbit files removal and free space wiper. I made some files and deleted them with all of these programs and retrieved them all back again within less than 5 minutes using Photorec from the testdisk package. I even found Windows 7 files I thought had been overwritten after my Ubuntu install. Perhaps what I was actually recovering were the files written multiple times to different areas of the hdd, but I only gave photorec about 3 minutes to read the 1st few gb so doubt that was the case. I don't know why it is so easy to get the files back, but I had NO problems even after multiple overwrites.
Maybe I misunderstood these posts and I apologize for any misconceptions.