----- Original message from Matthias Schroeder on Tue Nov 21 09:36:32 2006 -----
> 
> Hi Robert,
> 
> FRANCHISSEUR Robert wrote:
> > Hello,
> > 
> > I think I found a very serious bug with shred.
> > 
> > Scientific Linux SL release 4.1 (Beryllium)
> > Kernel 2.6.9-42.0.2.EL on an i686
> > 
> > This is what I did (as root):
> > 
> > cd /mirror_disk/sauvegarde/data/mirror_disk/sauvegarde/data
> > time find . -exec shred -n 3 -z -u  {} \;
> > 
> > on a directory of ~ 14 Gb in a 1 Tb firewire external disk
> > mounted on /mirror_disk/
> > 
> > The command did what I expected but I discovered that several 
> > other files in other partitions were *EMPTIED* !!!
> > 
> 
> I would assume that your /mirror_disk/sauvegarde/data contained some 
> links pointing to the /usr/bin, and shred thoroughly removed the targets 
> these links pointed to.
> 
> Matthias
> 

       Thank you Matias, you are right !

       I did not think I have any link pointing to /usr/bin in those data
       but looking more carefully I find I had backup of /etc from 2 debian
       machines and the links were in /etc/alternatives :

       /home/bob/DAKAR/reseau_lpaosf/branly/etc/alternatives/editor -> /bin/nano
       /home//bob/DAKAR/reseau_lpaosf/branly/etc/alternatives/editor.1.gz -> /usr/share/man/man1/nano.1.gz
       ...
       /home//bob/DAKAR/reseau_lpaosf/lpa/etc/alternatives/editor -> /usr/bin/vim
       /home//bob/DAKAR/reseau_lpaosf/lpa/etc/alternatives/editor.1.gz -> /usr/share/man/man1/vim.1.gz
       

-- 

                 Cordialement,
                               Robert FRANCHISSEUR

 ____ Apollo_gist :-)______________________________________________________
| Robert FRANCHISSEUR - Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique -   C.N.R.S. |
| Equipe "R.A.M.S.E.S." - UNIVERSITE P. et M. Curie - Tour 45-55 3ème 315C |
| Boite 99 -        4, place Jussieu        F-75252 PARIS CEDEX 05  FRANCE |
| Phone  : +33 (0)1 44 27 73 87           fax     : +33 (0)1 44 27 62 72   |
| e-mail : robert at lmd . jussieu . fr   http    : //www.lmd.jussieu.fr   |
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------