13.04 stopped working

[StarGazer83]

Well - SteveRiley, I had to think about it. In the meantime I ran all available hardware tests - all saying there is no mechanical trouble. So I shall try out what you suggested. If you can explain, how I do copy the wget-links to the updated kernel when I'm on a command-line interface, please? Do I install eLinks text-only browser or what? For if I have to type I shall make at least one typo - and then it's all in a mess.

[seascape]

This really shouldn't be necessary. Removing the partition table is enough to make the drive appear blank, as the partition table contains the starting and ending locations for each partition. Without these references, a partitioner will view the disk as blank.

That said, if you want to wipe a drive, the easiest way to do it is to mount it in an external USB or eSATA enclosure and the run the following:

sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sd[i]X[/i] bs=16M

where X represents the external drive.

Oh, and one pass is sufficient to overwrite whatever was previously stored. The need for multiple passes is long-standing myth, promulgated mostly by vendors of software who want to sell disk wiping programs.

I do three passes for good measure when installing an OS - it's like a good luck charm. Call me superstitious. You're correct that only one pass is necessary.

[SteveRiley]

If you can explain, how I do copy the wget-links to the updated kernel when I'm on a command-line interface, please? Do I install eLinks text-only browser or what? For if I have to type I shall make at least one typo - and then it's all in a mess.

I suppose you could try a text-only browser. Or write down the commands, double-checking what you put on paper. Then carefully type them when you get to step #4 in the sequence.