On 05/14/13 00:04, Clint Pachl wrote:
I would like to reinstall a fresh system on an SSD that contains an existing installation. From my limited knowledge of SSDs, I wonder if the drive controller may "retain" data from the old filesystem, unaware that there is a new filesystem put in place.

Is this a concern? If so, how does one "reset" a used SSD for optimal operation with a fresh install?


I've done a fresh install of OpenBSD over top of OpenBSD (and other OSes) many times across many SSDs and I've never had a problem.

But I'm not entirely sure what you mean...

1) Do you mean your new installation will see files "left over" from a previous install? No, it won't.

2) Do you mean there could still be data residing on unused parts of the SSD? Yes, it can happen.

SSDs have their own way of wear-leveling. What the filesystem considers to be cylinder X, head Y and sector Z will probably not be the same *physical* cells on the SSD twice in a row. That's not a function of the OS, but the SSD itself.

Do a little googling and you'll see what I mean: There's no guaranteed way to erase an SSD. I've read stories of people that have had SSDs crap out on them and instead of sending them back to the manufacturer for warranty repair/replacement, they just chuck them out and buy new ones. Why? Because there's no way to guarantee your private data has actually been erased.

--
Scott McEachern

https://www.blackstaff.ca

"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety 
deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Benjamin Franklin

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