Re: shell command for deleting all subdirectories

From	Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid>
Newsgroups	comp.os.linux.misc
Subject	Re: shell command for deleting all subdirectories
Date	2025-07-06 18:20 +0100
Organization	A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID	<104eb91$2aib0$1@dont-email.me> (permalink)
References	(4 earlier) <104blo6$1jp9r$1@dont-email.me> <0d5ojlxe7s.ln2@Telcontar.valinor> <104cjpr$1q66s$1@dont-email.me> <7iaqjlxcuv.ln2@Telcontar.valinor> <104e95s$2a26q$1@dont-email.me>

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On 2025-07-06, Rich wrote:

> Carlos E.R. <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:
>> On 2025-07-06 03:33, Lawrence D'Oliveiro wrote:
>>> On Sat, 5 Jul 2025 19:53:04 +0200, Carlos E.R. wrote:
>>> 
>>>> Why not do
>>>>
>>>> rm -r ~/Music/*
>>>>
>>>> ?
>>> 
>>> If any file/dir names in there have spaces or even (shudder) newlines,
>>> then word-splitting may not produce the results you expect.
>> 
>> Would that problem be different in:
>> 
>>   rm -r ~/Music/*
>> 
>> compared to:
>> 
>>   cd ~/Music/*
>>   rm -r *
>
> No, because shell globbing for * directly passed to a command is not 
> broken for oddball characters in names.  What breaks is trying to use 
> glob expansions in further shell expansions.

... oh, right. Word splitting does not happen to the result of
globbing. My mind was quite set in the scripting aspect of this and did
not grasp this relevant fact.

So the only issue would be the lack of prefix in the separate rm, and
becomes much less likely to be an accidental issue (but quite easy to
target if you're considering evil actors).

-- 
Nuno Silva

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shell command for deleting all subdirectories bilsch01 <usenet@writer.com> - 2025-07-05 05:26 -0700
  Re: shell command for deleting all subdirectories The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-07-05 13:28 +0100
    Re: shell command for deleting all subdirectories Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2025-07-05 13:36 +0000
      Re: shell command for deleting all subdirectories Bill Ubuntu <writer@usenet.org> - 2025-07-05 06:45 -0700
        Re: shell command for deleting all subdirectories Jason H <jason_hindle@yahoo.com> - 2025-07-05 17:00 +0000
          Re: shell command for deleting all subdirectories "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-07-05 19:53 +0200
            Re: shell command for deleting all subdirectories Jason H <jason_hindle@yahoo.com> - 2025-07-05 21:48 +0000
              Re: shell command for deleting all subdirectories "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-07-06 01:29 +0200
                Re: shell command for deleting all subdirectories Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2025-07-06 09:14 +0100
                Re: shell command for deleting all subdirectories "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-07-06 15:31 +0200
            Re: shell command for deleting all subdirectories Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-07-06 01:33 +0000
              Re: shell command for deleting all subdirectories "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-07-06 15:33 +0200
                Re: shell command for deleting all subdirectories Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid> - 2025-07-06 17:12 +0100
                Re: shell command for deleting all subdirectories "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-07-06 20:24 +0200
                Re: shell command for deleting all subdirectories Richard Kettlewell <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2025-07-06 19:56 +0100
                Re: shell command for deleting all subdirectories Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid> - 2025-07-11 18:36 +0100
                Re: shell command for deleting all subdirectories Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2025-07-06 16:44 +0000
                Re: shell command for deleting all subdirectories Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid> - 2025-07-06 18:20 +0100
            Re: shell command for deleting all subdirectories Fritz Wuehler <fritz@spamexpire-202507.rodent.frell.theremailer.net> - 2025-07-06 23:57 +0200
              Re: shell command for deleting all subdirectories Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-07-06 23:15 +0000
              Re: shell command for deleting all subdirectories Eric Pozharski <apple.universe@posteo.net> - 2025-07-07 13:16 +0000
          Re: shell command for deleting all subdirectories rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-07-05 18:12 +0000
          Re: shell command for deleting all subdirectories The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-07-06 09:05 +0100
      Re: shell command for deleting all subdirectories The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-07-05 14:46 +0100
    Re: shell command for deleting all subdirectories Bill Ubuntu <writer@usenet.org> - 2025-07-05 06:36 -0700
      Re: shell command for deleting all subdirectories The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-07-05 14:50 +0100
        Re: shell command for deleting all subdirectories Ralf Fassel <ralfixx@gmx.de> - 2025-07-07 10:47 +0200
          Re: shell command for deleting all subdirectories The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-07-07 09:59 +0100
            Re: shell command for deleting all subdirectories Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> - 2025-07-07 13:32 +0200
              Re: shell command for deleting all subdirectories The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-07-07 15:00 +0100
                Re: shell command for deleting all subdirectories Marc Haber <mh+usenetspam1118@zugschl.us> - 2025-07-07 16:36 +0200
                Re: shell command for deleting all subdirectories The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-07-07 16:05 +0100
                Re: shell command for deleting all subdirectories Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-07-07 21:53 +0000
  Re: shell command for deleting all subdirectories Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-07-06 01:35 +0000
    Re: shell command for deleting all subdirectories Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid> - 2025-07-06 03:09 +0100
      Re: shell command for deleting all subdirectories Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-07-06 03:13 +0000

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