Here’s how to securely delete files in Linux Mint / Ubuntu using the terminal:
1. Issue the following command at the terminal –
sudo apt-get install wipe
2. After the installation is complete, use the terminal to navigate to the directory from which you want to securely delete the files. Now, issue the following command at the terminal –
wipe <filename>
In our case, we wanted to securely delete a file named ‘test001.png’, hence, we issued the following command –
wipe test001.png
3. Since, securely deleted files are overwritten by random sequences of data in multiple passes, they cannot be recovered by using any data recovery software. Hence, system will prompt you for confirmation to securely delete the file. Answer with ‘yes’ to continue and say good bye to the file!
