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 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* !!! For example, among others: cd /; find . -type f -size 0 -printf " %t %s " -print Sat Nov 11 01:11:28 2006 0 ./usr/bin/i386-redhat-linux-c++ Sat Nov 11 01:11:28 2006 0 ./usr/bin/i386-redhat-linux-g++ Sat Nov 11 01:11:00 2006 0 ./usr/bin/metacity Sat Nov 11 01:11:28 2006 0 ./usr/bin/gcc Sat Nov 11 01:11:28 2006 0 ./usr/bin/c++ Sat Nov 11 01:11:00 2006 0 ./usr/bin/konqueror Sat Nov 11 01:11:28 2006 0 ./usr/bin/i386-redhat-linux-gcc Sat Nov 11 01:11:30 2006 0 ./usr/bin/info Sat Nov 11 01:11:28 2006 0 ./usr/bin/g++ Sat Nov 11 01:11:30 2006 0 ./usr/bin/vim Sat Nov 11 01:10:59 2006 0 ./usr/bin/gconftool-2 Sat Nov 11 01:10:59 2006 0 ./usr/bin/scp and even worse on an NFS file system monted from a SUN. 5 files were emptied. As I would not believe that, I just reproduce it after disconecting my network cable, remonting the partitions read only exept / , fill the firewire external disk and shred it again. I found more file emptied in / for example : Tue Nov 14 20:58:21 2006 0 ./usr/lib/liblapack.a Wed Nov 15 00:01:56 2006 0 ./usr/bin/lpr.cups Tue Nov 14 20:42:28 2006 0 ./usr/bin/i386-redhat-linux-c++ Wed Nov 15 00:01:56 2006 0 ./usr/bin/cancel.cups Tue Nov 14 20:42:28 2006 0 ./usr/bin/i386-redhat-linux-g++ Tue Nov 14 20:42:29 2006 0 ./usr/bin/ssh Wed Nov 15 00:01:56 2006 0 ./usr/bin/lpstat.cups Tue Nov 14 20:42:01 2006 0 ./usr/bin/metacity Wed Nov 15 00:01:56 2006 0 ./usr/bin/lp.cups Tue Nov 14 20:42:28 2006 0 ./usr/bin/gcc Tue Nov 14 20:42:28 2006 0 ./usr/bin/c++ Tue Nov 14 20:42:01 2006 0 ./usr/bin/konqueror Tue Nov 14 20:42:28 2006 0 ./usr/bin/i386-redhat-linux-gcc Tue Nov 14 20:42:28 2006 0 ./usr/bin/info Tue Nov 14 20:42:28 2006 0 ./usr/bin/g++ Wed Nov 15 00:01:55 2006 0 ./usr/bin/rmail.sendmail Tue Nov 14 20:42:29 2006 0 ./usr/bin/vim Tue Nov 14 20:42:00 2006 0 ./usr/bin/gconftool-2 Wed Nov 15 00:01:56 2006 0 ./usr/bin/lprm.cups Tue Nov 14 20:42:00 2006 0 ./usr/bin/scp Wed Nov 15 00:01:56 2006 0 ./usr/bin/lpq.cups strange enough, the same files have been re-emptied again and I can observe that the corresponding man file have also been emptied for example : /usr/bin/vim and /usr/share/man/man1/vim.1.gz I dit it 3 times with the same results the third time with the USB interface instead of the firewire one. Finaly, I had to re-instal 27 packages which were corrupted. Is shred the culprit or the kernel or ? -- Best regards, 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 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------