A
Anonymous
Guest
I would like ask a few general or beginners questions about Dariks boot and nuke (DbaN) program. I just did not fully understand these things (or read too much and got confused). Thanks in advance.
1. DoD erasing method. So there is 3 different DoD labels/alternatives: “DoD”, “DoD3pass” and “DoDshort”. Does the normal i.e. simple “DoD” consist of 9 phasses and 1 round? And this is enough, no need for 2 rounds or more passes? Are they waste of time basically (i.e. 9 passes, 1 round is just enough)?
2. DoD method includes 1 verifying pass as far as i understod, but is there need (is it a good idea) to use as Verification Level “2 all Check whether all passes were written properly” – does this bring more security or is it unnesssary? Or does that 1 verifying pass in DoD method check whether all passes were written properly? How long does 1 extra verifying pass takes?
3. The default method is “dban” (=PPEND initrd=initrd.gz root= /dev/ram0 init=/rc quiet nuke="dwipe"). What does that actually do – DoD with 9 passes or what? Or does that just mean that the DbaN program will ask what methods of erasing does the user want to use?
4. Autonuke options means that the DbaN program will automatically start the erasing process (if the floppy disk/cd-r are in the drive when I start my computer)?
5. If I wan’t to change the default settings (like to use autonuke) I Have to edit “A:\SYSLINUX.CFG” file inside the DBAN floppy disk (which can be create after one has installed the DbaN program first), am I right? I can’t change setting before I make the DBAN floppy disk right? How can one change the settings if one uses CD-R/CD-RW?
6. When erase process is over can I still access the BIOS when I start my computer (does it load automatically or do I have to do something)? So I can change for example the boot device from floppy to cd-rom drive.
7. When the erase process in over I can just put my Windows installation CD-rom in the CD-rom drive (booting) and install Windows in normal way?
8. If I have encrypted my entire hard drive i.e. password required before operating system loads (and lost my password for example or do not want to use it) can I still use DbaN to erase my hard drive or does the encyption prevent erasing?
9. If I want to use 2 method in the erasing process do I have to make 2 DBAN floppy disk: one for DOD (9 phasses, 1 round) method and one for PRNG (? phasses, 10 rounds) method or can one make DBAN floppy disk which uses 2 methods (first one and the the other)? Is it a bad/unnesessary choise to use 2 methods in erase process (whether you are using 1 disk or 2 disk)?
10. If I use DBAN floppy disk, DBAN writes after the erase process a log file about the process, right? Does the same happen if I use CDR/CDRW version?
11. If want to use DoD method (9 passes, 2 rounds) ja start erase process automically (=autonuke) is this what I have to do in the “A:\SYSLINUX.CFG” file inside the DBAN floppy disk (which can be create after one has installed the DbaN program first)?
A. Change the “DEFAULT dban” to “DEFAULT autonuke”
B. Change
LABEL autonuke
KERNEL kernel.bzi
APPEND initrd=initrd.gz root=/dev/ram0 init=/rc quiet nuke="dwipe --autonuke
to
LABEL autonuke
KERNEL kernel.bzi
APPEND initrd=initrd.gz root=/dev/ram0 init=/rc quiet nuke="dwipe --autonuke --method dod522022m --rounds 2
12. If want to use PRNG method (???? passes, 12 rounds) ja start erase process automically (=autonuke) is this what I have to do in the “A:\SYSLINUX.CFG” file inside the DBAN floppy disk (which can be create after one has installed the DbaN program first)?
A. Change the “DEFAULT dban” to “DEFAULT autonuke”
B. Change
LABEL autonuke
KERNEL kernel.bzi
APPEND initrd=initrd.gz root=/dev/ram0 init=/rc quiet nuke="dwipe –autonuke
to
LABEL autonuke
KERNEL kernel.bzi
APPEND initrd=initrd.gz root=/dev/ram0 init=/rc quiet nuke="dwipe --autonuke --method prng --rounds 12 --verify all
1. DoD erasing method. So there is 3 different DoD labels/alternatives: “DoD”, “DoD3pass” and “DoDshort”. Does the normal i.e. simple “DoD” consist of 9 phasses and 1 round? And this is enough, no need for 2 rounds or more passes? Are they waste of time basically (i.e. 9 passes, 1 round is just enough)?
2. DoD method includes 1 verifying pass as far as i understod, but is there need (is it a good idea) to use as Verification Level “2 all Check whether all passes were written properly” – does this bring more security or is it unnesssary? Or does that 1 verifying pass in DoD method check whether all passes were written properly? How long does 1 extra verifying pass takes?
3. The default method is “dban” (=PPEND initrd=initrd.gz root= /dev/ram0 init=/rc quiet nuke="dwipe"). What does that actually do – DoD with 9 passes or what? Or does that just mean that the DbaN program will ask what methods of erasing does the user want to use?
4. Autonuke options means that the DbaN program will automatically start the erasing process (if the floppy disk/cd-r are in the drive when I start my computer)?
5. If I wan’t to change the default settings (like to use autonuke) I Have to edit “A:\SYSLINUX.CFG” file inside the DBAN floppy disk (which can be create after one has installed the DbaN program first), am I right? I can’t change setting before I make the DBAN floppy disk right? How can one change the settings if one uses CD-R/CD-RW?
6. When erase process is over can I still access the BIOS when I start my computer (does it load automatically or do I have to do something)? So I can change for example the boot device from floppy to cd-rom drive.
7. When the erase process in over I can just put my Windows installation CD-rom in the CD-rom drive (booting) and install Windows in normal way?
8. If I have encrypted my entire hard drive i.e. password required before operating system loads (and lost my password for example or do not want to use it) can I still use DbaN to erase my hard drive or does the encyption prevent erasing?
9. If I want to use 2 method in the erasing process do I have to make 2 DBAN floppy disk: one for DOD (9 phasses, 1 round) method and one for PRNG (? phasses, 10 rounds) method or can one make DBAN floppy disk which uses 2 methods (first one and the the other)? Is it a bad/unnesessary choise to use 2 methods in erase process (whether you are using 1 disk or 2 disk)?
10. If I use DBAN floppy disk, DBAN writes after the erase process a log file about the process, right? Does the same happen if I use CDR/CDRW version?
11. If want to use DoD method (9 passes, 2 rounds) ja start erase process automically (=autonuke) is this what I have to do in the “A:\SYSLINUX.CFG” file inside the DBAN floppy disk (which can be create after one has installed the DbaN program first)?
A. Change the “DEFAULT dban” to “DEFAULT autonuke”
B. Change
LABEL autonuke
KERNEL kernel.bzi
APPEND initrd=initrd.gz root=/dev/ram0 init=/rc quiet nuke="dwipe --autonuke
to
LABEL autonuke
KERNEL kernel.bzi
APPEND initrd=initrd.gz root=/dev/ram0 init=/rc quiet nuke="dwipe --autonuke --method dod522022m --rounds 2
12. If want to use PRNG method (???? passes, 12 rounds) ja start erase process automically (=autonuke) is this what I have to do in the “A:\SYSLINUX.CFG” file inside the DBAN floppy disk (which can be create after one has installed the DbaN program first)?
A. Change the “DEFAULT dban” to “DEFAULT autonuke”
B. Change
LABEL autonuke
KERNEL kernel.bzi
APPEND initrd=initrd.gz root=/dev/ram0 init=/rc quiet nuke="dwipe –autonuke
to
LABEL autonuke
KERNEL kernel.bzi
APPEND initrd=initrd.gz root=/dev/ram0 init=/rc quiet nuke="dwipe --autonuke --method prng --rounds 12 --verify all