Rootkits?

[Bill Stanley]

Hi,

I don't really have a problem yet so this is more of a question.  If a 
dual boot computer using Windows and Linux gets a rootkit installed 
while using Windows, will Linux be affected?  Lots of what is called 
rootkits are not one but just garden variety Windows viruses that are 
very good at hiding.  What I am talking about are true rootkits.

The second question is if you are confronted by such a beast and the 
hard drive is suspect, can the rootkit be eliminated?  I am thinking 
that you could boot to a Live CD and use a tool such as gparted to 
repartition and preferably overwrite EVERY byte in the hard drive 
(including the boot sector).  Would you get rid of the rootkit that way?


Bill Stanley