Re: shell command for deleting all subdirectories

From	"Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid>
Newsgroups	comp.os.linux.misc
Subject	Re: shell command for deleting all subdirectories
Date	2025-07-06 20:24 +0200
Message-ID	<ujrqjlx5to.ln2@Telcontar.valinor> (permalink)
References	(4 earlier) <104blo6$1jp9r$1@dont-email.me> <0d5ojlxe7s.ln2@Telcontar.valinor> <104cjpr$1q66s$1@dont-email.me> <7iaqjlxcuv.ln2@Telcontar.valinor> <104e7a2$29enk$2@dont-email.me>

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On 2025-07-06 18:12, Nuno Silva wrote:
> On 2025-07-06, Carlos E.R. 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 *
> 
> I think so, yes. One problem is the same and present in both, word
> splitting will happen after the expansion of *.
> 
> The second case has the added problem that the expanded elements have no
> prefix, so if they happen to match an option or a different valid
> argument to rm, they will be interpreted that way. If you're lucky,
> it'll be just invalid and you get a "file not found".
> 
> If you're unlucky and on a non-GNU system, or old (how old?) GNU
> system, you may have files named, I don't know, something like
> 
>     "List of books / movies -fr 2024.pdf"
> 
> then two things will happen for sure, one of the arguments is going to
> be -f, and another is going to be /. And -r is already there and the
> whole command becomes a giant "rm -rf /".

Brrrr... :-(

> 
> (I just hope nobody ever writes a document with "--no-preserve-root" in
> the title, or it might end up in a filename somewhere...)
> 
> 
> 
> (If someone reading this does not understand what is going on here, ask,
> don't try.)
> 


-- 
Cheers, Carlos.

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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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