erasing the journal and config

James Cameron quozl at laptop.org
Thu Aug 27 04:52:07 EDT 2009


Perhaps the librarians would accept a different initialisation method
... one that I use here is a USB flash key with a boot/olpc.fth file
which automatically wipes a laptop.  As a result, it is dangerous, and
kept separate from others.  Powering up with it inserted loses all
stored data, and reflashes to a standard build.

An example of something similar is in the mkbootable.sh script in xodist
(the debxo image builder), which has a prompt for "yes" before it erases
everything.  A copy of the script is attached ... look inside it for the
olpc.fth that is constructed.

Having a "ruin everything" object (the USB flash key) means it can be
scripted, made simple, yet secured in a locked draw to prevent
accidental use.

I've tested this method only on unlocked laptops.  For locked laptops
some similar method might be used.

-- 
James Cameron
http://quozl.linux.org.au/
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