Question : Problem: Linux utility to wipe a mounted drive

I have an Ubuntu 7.10 Server and a laptop hard drive connected through USB that I want to wipe. Is there a Linux utility I can use that I can wipe the drive in the background while the server does other things. I don't want a utility that I have to boot into.

Answer : Problem: Linux utility to wipe a mounted drive

writing just zeros to the drive/partition is not enough.
One have to do it multiple times (usually 3). So it's good practice to write zeros, random zeros
cat /dev/zero > /dev/sdX
cat /dev/urandom > /dev/sdX # this will take much time but it's crucial if special forces are to be troubled
cat /dev/zero > /dev/sdX # zero it again