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run dd with progress information
dd is a great tool to overwrite disks quickly (if you want to return them on warranty or sell them)1)
Overwrite entire disk, e.g. /dev/sdX with zeroes, for example to sell the disk or send it in for warranty. Be VERY CAREFUL as overwriting the disk will permamently destroy all data on it.
0. DON'T do this in a hurry
1. Verfiy that you have a backup of all your data!
2. Locate the disk, make 100% sure by checking the size and the model!:
ls /dev/disk-by-id -l
3. Verify that you are on the right disk (check paritions):
cfdisk /dev/sdX
4. Verify that the right hd light is lighting up if your read the disk
cat /dev/sdX > /dev/null
5. Overwrite the disk with zeros:
dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdX bs=4096
6. Check the progress of your running dd, from another terminal window do 2)
watch killall -USR1 dd
Ref: http://www.vioan.ro/wp/2009/03/28/dd-command-progress-bar/
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