GNU bug report logs - #12400
rmdir: add --one-file-system option

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Message #61 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: L A Walsh <coreutils <at> tlinx.org>
To: Bob Proulx <bob <at> proulx.com>, Coreutils <bug-coreutils <at> gnu.org>
Subject: Re: bug#12400: rmdir runs "amok", users "curse" GNU...(as rmdir has
 no option to stay on 1 file system)...
Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2019 17:32:08 -0800

On 2/10/2019 1:52 PM, Bob Proulx wrote:
> L A Walsh wrote:
>>>> If you want a recursive option why not use 'rm -rf'?
>> rmdir already provides a recursive delete that can cross
>> file system boundaries
> 
> Please provide an example.  Something small.  Something concrete.
> Please include the version of rmdir.

The original bug stems from having to use wild cards to delete
all files in a directory instead of '.', as in being told to use:

rm -fr --one-filesystem foo/*

instead of 

rm -fr --one-filesystem foo/. or 
cd foo && rm -fr --one-filesystem .


The recommended solution to use foo/* won't stay on 1 file
system, while an alternative using '.' would.

if I use rm --one-filesystem  a b c, I could be deleting
files off of 3 file systems.  Why would the argument be named
'one-filesystem' if there as no way to ensure that all files
were only on 1 file system?

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