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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Package: coreutils;

Reported by: Linda Walsh <coreutils <at> tlinx.org>

Date: Mon, 3 Sep 2012 00:34:02 UTC

Severity: normal

Done: Assaf Gordon <assafgordon <at> gmail.com>

Bug is archived. No further changes may be made.

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Message #233 received at 12339 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Jim Meyering <jim <at> meyering.net>
To: Linda Walsh <coreutils <at> tlinx.org>
Cc: Paul Eggert <eggert <at> cs.ucla.edu>, Eric Blake <eblake <at> redhat.com>,
	Bernhard Voelker <mail <at> bernhard-voelker.de>,
	"12339 <at> debbugs.gnu.org" <12339 <at> debbugs.gnu.org>
Subject: Re: bug#12339: Bug: rm -fr . doesn't dir depth first deletion yet it
	is	documented to do so.
Date: Sat, 08 Sep 2012 09:09:16 +0200

Linda Walsh wrote:
> I proposed adding a ENV var that would need to be specified to get
> the new behavior.   Thus it *would not* be changing default behavior.
>
> Does everyone get that... as that's been offered as a an acceptable
> compromise.

We will not be adding new behavior that is enabled by an environment
variable.  I explained a similar refusal for sort.c just two weeks ago:

    https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/coreutils/2012-08/msg00172.html

  > ... we have a strong aversion to adding
  > support for new environment variables in coreutils programs
  > because it makes formerly-robust usage prone to malfunction or abuse.
This bug report was last modified 6 years and 187 days ago.

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