GNU bug report logs - #12339
Bug: rm -fr . doesn't dir depth first deletion yet it is documented to do so.

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From: Bernhard Voelker <mail <at> bernhard-voelker.de>
To: Linda Walsh <coreutils <at> tlinx.org>, Jim Meyering <jim <at> meyering.net>
Cc: Paul Eggert <eggert <at> cs.ucla.edu>, "12339 <at> debbugs.gnu.org" <12339 <at> debbugs.gnu.org>
Subject: bug#12339: Bug: rm -fr . doesn't dir depth first deletion yet it is	documented to do so.
Date: Thu, 6 Sep 2012 13:13:44 +0200 (CEST)

On September 6, 2012 at 12:56 PM Linda Walsh <coreutils <at> tlinx.org> wrote:

> Jim Meyering wrote:
> > Thanks for the patch, but it would be pretty rotten for GNU rm to make
> > it so "rm -rf ." deletes everything under ".", while all other vendor
> > rm programs diagnose the POSIX-mandated error.  People would curse us
> > for making GNU rm remove their precious files when they accidentally ran
> > that command.
> ---
>
> Just like people who ran "rm -fr * in /" and didn't get their POSIX
> mandated behavior, would curse you?
>
> You are playing Mommy, to people and not allowing them to do what
> they are asking the computer to do.
>
> [... and ~40 lines re. Jim, GNU, POSIX, the universe ...]

Dear Linda,

why don't you stick to the point?

You provided a patch which changes the *default behaviour* of rm,
and Jim told you that we can't/shouldn't do this.

What you want was an option to delete the content of a directory.
So why discussing all the world and his brother instead of providing
a new patch introducing such a new option (e.g. --only-dir-content,
there should be a better name)?
Generalizations like that don't help here, IMHO.

Have a nice day,
Berny

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