Secure delete without using trash

[ozaz]

I'd appreciate recommendations of apps or methods for securely deleting files that does not involve first placing the files in the trash.

Thanks

 

[miles01110]

Pointless. Use the Trash. It is the same as any other front-end program for deleting files.

 

[ozaz]

It may be the same but there are situations where I've wanted to bypass using the trash. For example, I've had occasions when I was not ready to empty the trash at the same time as wanting to secure delete a small document. If secure delete could be applied to individual items in the trash, this wouldn't be a problem, but secure delete of the trash requires deleting everything.

 

[miles01110]

It may be the same but there are situations where I've wanted to bypass using the trash. For example, I've had occasions when I was not ready to empty the trash at the same time as wanting to secure delete a small document. If secure delete could be applied to individual items in the trash, this wouldn't be a problem, but secure delete of the trash requires deleting everything.

Again, this goes back to the numerous discussions about using the Trash as "just another folder" and how that's not the way OS X is supposed to work. You aren't going to find anything that does this, because you can solve your problem quite easily by not using the Trash as a folder to store things you don't want to delete.

 

[ozaz]

Again, this goes back to the numerous discussions about using the Trash as "just another folder" and how that's not the way OS X is supposed to work. You aren't going to find anything that does this, because you can solve your problem quite easily by not using the Trash as a folder to store things you don't want to delete.

Obviously, I think I want to delete the files when putting them in the trash. I'm not using it as just another folder. But I do like to do a visual scan of whats in the trash before emptying it (double check that I really do want to delete the files). This can take a few minutes depending on how many files are in the trash. The scenario I gave earlier forces me to do this every time I want to secure delete a file which I find a nuisance because I may want to delay that check until some other time.

There are definitely apps that do what I want. Just look on Mac app store. I'm asking on here because I can't trial the app store apps and I'd like recommendations rather than rely on blindly searching the internet for other apps.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Securely deleting a file via Terminal and the "srm" command (3.6MB .mov file using the H.264 codec, 1280 x 800 pixel)

 

[ozaz]

Securely deleting a file via Terminal and the "srm" command (3.6MB .mov file using the H.264 codec, 1280 x 800 pixel)

Thanks! Do you know the details of this deletion method (number of passes)? Is that configurable?

I'm still also interested in recomendations for small apps that do the same thing.

 

[ozaz]

Do you know the details of this deletion method (number of passes)? Is that configurable?

Found an answer here: http://www.yourdailymac.net/2011/04/how-to-use-srm-in-mac-os-x-to-secure-remove-folders-and-files/

default for srm command is 35 passes. To use 7 passes add the parameter -m to the srm command. But there does not seem to be an option to go lower than 7 passes. The secure empty trash gui uses 7 passes.

@miles01110, This is another reason for not wanting to use secure empty trash. I might want to securely delete a very large file and might be happy with 3 pass deletion rather than being forced into using the non-configurable 7 pass deletion of secure empty trash.