Parted Magic - Nice...buy why?

[DrCR]

Just noticed this distro, apparently headed by the GParted Live CD originator:

Parted Magic


Other Screenshots

Parted Magic is a Linux LiveCD/USB/PXE with its elemental purpose being to partition hard drives.

Optimized at approximately 30MB, the Parted Magic OS employs core programs of GParted and Parted to handle partitioning tasks with ease, while featuring other useful programs (e.g. Partition Image, TestDisk, fdisk, sfdisk, dd, ddrescue, etc.) and an excellent set of documentation to benefit the user. An extensive collection of fileystem tools are also included, as Parted Magic supports the following: aufs, ext2, ext3, ext4, fat16, fat32, hfs, hfs+, jfs, linux-swap, ntfs, ocfs2, reiserfs, reiser4, xfs, and zfs.

The latest version is updated with: Linux-2.6.21, parted-1.8.7, ntfsprogs-200702071432 (with Windows Vista support), ntfs-3g-1.516, and GParted-0.3.4.

The current Xserver is xorg-server-1.3.0.0 with the following drivers: apm, ark, ati, chips, cirrus, cyrix, glint, i128, i740, i810, mga, neomagic, nv, r128, riva128, radeon, rendition, s3, s3virge, savage, siliconmotion, sis, tdfx, tga, trident, tseng, vesa, vmware, and voodoo.


Looks like a nice purpose-specific distro and found it rather attractive for a moment...but then I thought why is it that tiny utilities like TestDisk aren't found on every Live CD? To further my rant, just today I wanted to use mkfs.vfat on my office machine's linux install -- not present. Am I noobish to think that it should be?

Am I the only one who uses apps like TestDisk, or DBAN fairly often? Now sure, I know if you start including every such utility you end up with complete CDs worth of content like SystemRescueCD and UBCD...but surely CD space isn't at such a premium that some of the more common teeny utils get the bump?


Ok, rant over. I feel better now. 

You may not believe this but this post originally start out as a simple 'hey, check out this cool little distroet' lol. Guess I've found myself one too many times in a situation this week where I'm already booted into a *nix only to have to reboot with a floppy or UBCD just to use a ol' unobscure tiny app.

[GrannyGeek]

Am I the only one who uses apps like TestDisk, or DBAN fairly often?

I can't speak for everyone, but personally I've never heard of TestDisk or DBAN. What do they do? Fact is, I seldom use any disk tools.

I'd think the various mkfs utilities are pretty basic and I'd expect them to be included. Maybe it's not on the office computer because the system administrator doesn't want people to be formatting anything.
--GrannyGeek

[DrCR]

Well, maybe I am the only one who uses such tools lol. If so, is there an 'included in vector by default' request somewhere? Guess I really just need to participate in beta testing more often.


TestDisk: Recover partition table among other things. Can be a _real_ life savior.
http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk

DBan zero's out a hard drive, or uses more robust options for more security. Secure clearing options, off the top of my head, stem from RoyalMountedPolice, DepartmentofDefense, and academic papers on the matter.


mkfs.vfat is not present in my fresh install of VL 5.8 SOHO. Definitly not an admin issue as, well, I'm an IT admin. Again, I really do consider myself a noob compared to some of my coworkers, so perhaps there is a good reason for the lack of mkfs -t vfat functionality.

[GrannyGeek]

TestDisk and DBAN sound very useful. I've never needed to recover a partition table, but if the need came up, I'd certainly want a tool. Utilities to zero a drive are fairly common, but having one in a distro would save searching and downloading.

I thought mkfs.vfat was in 5.8 Standard, which I use, but I just searched and it's not. I'm glad I found this out.
--GrannyGeek

[Joe1962]

Don't know DBAN, but testdisk is great. Both the Linux and the DOS/Windows versions have helped me out me a few times.

Instead of mkfs.vfat, use mkdosfs.

[GrannyGeek]

Instead of mkfs.vfat, use mkdosfs.

Does mkdosfs give you long file names like vfat? As I thought about it, if I wanted to create a Windows file system I'd do it with Windows, just as I use Linux to create a Linux file system. Of course, for those who are Windows free and yet need a vfat partition.... But why would you?
--GrannyGeek

[Joe1962]

Does mkdosfs give you long file names like vfat?

Yes, just use "-F32" for a FAT32 type format.

[GrannyGeek]

Thanks. I added that tidbit to my Tuxcards Linux tips file.
--GrannyGeek

[Joe1962]

Granny, your famous tips file must hold some pretty interesting stuff by now...

[Triarius Fidelis]

DBan zero's out a hard drive, or uses more robust options for more security.

My AIM buddy maf54 could find use for that.