On Linux, the hard disk. This command, dd, copies data in bulk from /dev/random ... | Hacker News

Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit

gjulianm on March 13, 2013 | parent | context | favorite | on: Yes `yes no`

On Linux, the hard disk. This command, dd, copies data in bulk from /dev/random (a special device on *nix that outputs random bytes) to /dev/sda (your hard disk). That means it starts to overwrite your disk with trash, rendering the system unusable.

lilyball on March 13, 2013 [–]

I know what `dd` is. I just don't use Linux, so I'm not particularly familiar with the Linux-specific /dev entries. Thanks though.

Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact