[SOLVED] arch linux uninstall

bdawg · 2012-09-16 02:05:02

Hey guys just a little while ago i bought a new 1tb hard drive to install arch linux on. However i did somethings wrong and i wanted to uninstall everything including partitions so that i could start over. I was wondering if anyone could tell me how to do this. Also if i did would it mess up my hard drive? thanks.

Last edited by bdawg (2012-09-18 22:58:17)

lucke · 2012-09-16 02:10:13

Whenever you delete partitions or create new filesystems on them (format them), you make them clean from any files. You can safely remove all partitons on the drive if you don't care about its contents, and start afresh.

bdawg · 2012-09-16 02:33:37

ok sweet so if i delete all three partitions then the hard drive will be like i just bought it?

2ManyDogs · 2012-09-16 03:13:12

I'm not trying to be a smartass here, but you didn't really take any of the advice we gave you in the other topic you started in July, did you? https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php … 8#p1126648

If you had done anything to learn even the most basic things about Linux, by now you would know the answer to this extremely basic question.

Remember what ewaller told you in your other topic?

ewaller wrote:

Spend a lot of time understanding our wiki; especially the beginner's guide. Practice. Make mistakes. Fix Them. Study some more.
Arch is notorious for not being a hand-holding distribution. We welcome beginners, but do not coddle them.

Read about filesystems and partitions in the wiki. It's really not that complicated.

Last edited by 2ManyDogs (2012-09-16 03:17:58)

bdawg · 2012-09-16 04:04:13

lol yes i did listen to their advice and like i said in the other post i didn't have enough room to install a linux os. I used a live usb for awhile but between school and work lately i haven't had much time. However i finally got another hard drive and decided to try it out since i have started to have some free time. I just wanted to get arch running and working before i got really busy again so that when i get home i can go on a working computer and keep learning. Thanks for your input and i will definitely follow your advice.

lucke · 2012-09-16 04:49:09

bdawg wrote:

ok sweet so if i delete all three partitions then the hard drive will be like i just bought it?

Yes.

teateawhy · 2012-09-16 13:47:26

It will definitly not turn into a new harddrive only because you delete the partitions.

gentoo wiki wrote:

Common misconceptions
When it comes to data storage, one of the most common misconceptions is that a hard disk can be empty or deleted. Strictly speaking, this is not true. A hard disk is never empty, and it does not understand a delete command. All a hard disk can do, is read and write.

Read it here.

Last edited by teateawhy (2012-09-16 13:48:01)

lucke · 2012-09-16 15:42:04

A disk with partitions deleted will be like a new disk - non-partitioned. It seems that was bdawg's aim.

BKLive · 2012-09-16 18:49:32

magnets understand the delete command

Trilby · 2012-09-16 19:06:50

`dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdX` also understands the delete command.

[Do not try this at home disclaimer] bdawg, do not try to use this command unless you know exactly what you are doing and why. From the above discussion there seems to be no need whatsoever for you to do anything to wipe the disk. Just start from step zero of any installation guide and you'll be set. Step zero would refer to (re)partitioning and formatting.

bdawg · 2012-09-17 04:11:42

Ya thanks guys i repartitioned and its all fixed now. I appreciate all the help. I'm just glad i didn't totally ruin my hard drive.

nomorewindows · 2012-09-17 13:58:34

bdawg wrote:

Ya thanks guys i repartitioned and its all fixed now. I appreciate all the help. I'm just glad i didn't totally ruin my hard drive.

If you use Gparted to preserve your data, then you can start to wonder about wear and tear. But just making a change in the partition table, no so much.
Drat! No windows partitions seemed to have been harmed in the changing of partitions (Always fun to have to work around them).

Arch Linux

#1 2012-09-16 02:05:02

[SOLVED] arch linux uninstall

#2 2012-09-16 02:10:13

Re: [SOLVED] arch linux uninstall

#3 2012-09-16 02:33:37

Re: [SOLVED] arch linux uninstall

#4 2012-09-16 03:13:12

Re: [SOLVED] arch linux uninstall

#5 2012-09-16 04:04:13

Re: [SOLVED] arch linux uninstall

#6 2012-09-16 04:49:09

Re: [SOLVED] arch linux uninstall

#7 2012-09-16 13:47:26

Re: [SOLVED] arch linux uninstall

#8 2012-09-16 15:42:04

Re: [SOLVED] arch linux uninstall

#9 2012-09-16 18:49:32

Re: [SOLVED] arch linux uninstall

#10 2012-09-16 19:06:50

Re: [SOLVED] arch linux uninstall

#11 2012-09-17 04:11:42

Re: [SOLVED] arch linux uninstall

#12 2012-09-17 13:58:34

Re: [SOLVED] arch linux uninstall

Board footer