Securely remove files using srm tool

In this tutorial we will learn how to install and use the srm command line tool to securely remove files on our system. To prevent or at least decrease the possibilities of recovering them.

srm (or Secure Remove) is a command line utility for Unix-like computer systems for secure file deletion.

Source: Wikipedia

As usual, become a root or use sudo whenever is needed with the following commands.

Installation:

srm isn’t usually installed on most Linux distributions by default. So, let’s first verify whether or not it’s being installed. Please, see : How to check whether or not a package is installed. Keep in mind if you’re using Debian based distro, then search for the package called secure-delete or search for the filename srm by using the flag --search with the command dpkg.

If it wasn’t installed, simply install it:

$ apt install secure-delete

$ dnf install srm

$ yum install srm

$ dnf install srm

$ zypper in srm

$ urpmi srm

$ pacman -S srm

$ emerge app-misc/srm

$ xbps-install -S srm

$ apk add srm

$ pkg install srm

$ portmaster -v security/srm

$ cd /usr/ports/security/srm
$ make install clean
$ rehash

Usage:

Then, use the srm command to securely remove the files:

$ srm -v FILE-NAME

To securely remove all files in the current directory:

$ srm -vr *

While:

• -v : Verbose mode.
• -r : Recursive mode, deletes all subdirectories.

For more information, check the manual:

$ man srm

Or read it online: srm(1)