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: Bob Proulx <bob <at> proulx.com>
To: Linda Walsh <coreutils <at> tlinx.org>
Cc: 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: Sun, 2 Sep 2012 21:53:52 -0600

Linda Walsh wrote:
> Now there seems to be a special check for "." and disallow it as a
> rm target.  But that was a safe and portable way to delete all contents.
> ...
> I would expect it to delete all but the current inode I'm parked on, and
> for it -- either issue an error or silently ignore ... preferring 'DoWIMean'
> versus 'technically'...as being more user friendly.
> 
> Sides -- it normally does depth-first traversal --- since you can't delete
> a dir with contents still in it -- so why different for '.'?

+1.  Feels like a bug to me.

Workaround:

  find . -delete

Bob

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