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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From: Paul Eggert <eggert <at> cs.ucla.edu>
To: "Linda A. Walsh" <law <at> tlinx.org>
Cc: Jim Meyering <meyering <at> redhat.com>, "12339 <at> debbugs.gnu.org" <12339 <at> debbugs.gnu.org>
Subject: bug#12339: [PATCH] rm: avoid bogus diagnostic for a slash-decorated symlink-to-dir
Date: Tue, 04 Sep 2012 23:25:28 -0700

On 09/04/2012 06:55 PM, Linda A. Walsh wrote:
 
> So how do delete all files in the directory without wild cards?

Why tie your hands behind your back?  Use wild cards:

  cd DIRECTORY && rm -fr * .[!.] .??*

If you do this a lot, put it into a shell script.
It's not like the need is all that common, for most people,
but if you need it that's what scripts are for.

If you fiddle with your shell settings about
how wildcards are expanded, make
sure your script does wildcards in the standard way.
This bug report was last modified 6 years and 187 days ago.

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