Files and folders

The shred command

Overwrites a file content before deleting it, so it cannot be recovered.

Syntax

shred <archivo...>

Copy-ready examples

$ touch secreto.txtCreate the file
$ shred secreto.txtDestroy it securely

You can try them in the browser terminal: it does not touch your computer.

Typical mistakes

  • On modern journaling disks the guarantee is not total, but it beats rm.

Related commands

rmtruncate

FAQ

Does shred delete or just overwrite?

By default it overwrites and deletes the file.

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