Should I use DBAN before installing Linux?

[Ethan Holloway]

This is probably a dumb question but I'm very OCD and I'm wondering if wiping my entire hard drive with a program like DBAN would speed up a future operating system. I feel like it would but I've heard some people say that Linux takes care of the wiping when you install it, and even though it says it does, I'm wondering why a program like DBAN takes so long to use but installing Linux is fairly quick. I'm thinking that DBAN does a better job at erasing data thus making your computer run faster. My question is, would it make any difference if I used DBAN or some program like that before installing Linux? I don't care about perserving any files as I have an external hard drive. Thank you very much.

[catweazel]

My question is, would it make any difference if I used DBAN or some program like that before installing Linux?

Only to the time you spend wiping the disk. The drive will not be sped up by wiping it. The difference is that a full format starts at the blunt end of the drive and works it way to the pointy end, formatting every sector as it goes. This is a waste of time so now most formatting routines just put a special list at the start of the drive, and few flags in between.

So, the stuff you've been told is all wrong, and there is no advantage in wiping the drive, unless perhaps you have stuff on there that you're ashamed of and don't want the your local police constabulary to find.

[Orbmiser]

"I'm wondering if wiping my entire hard drive with a program like DBAN would speed up a future operating system."

No as it doesn't do anything to the hardware to speed up the disk. All DBAN does is wipe bits off so they are unrecoverable by recovering deleted files and folders. Linux or Windows Clean intall plus formatting does the same when creating new partitions and formating the drive which is only software writing to the disk and actually doesn't do anything to the drive itself except making code entries onto the platters.
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[usbtux]

...and there is no advantage in wiping the drive, unless perhaps you have stuff on there that you're ashamed of and don't want the your local police constabulary to find.