Subject: bug#24730: rmdir/mkdir error(s) and/or not working "reciprocally" w/each other

From: "L. A. Walsh" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2016 12:49:44 -0700

It doesn't seem rmdir and mkdir are behaving "reciprocally"...

If I type

mkdir -p ./a/b/c   # no error
rmdir -p ./a/b/c   # get error msg, but a,b,c removed.

1) thinking either rmdir shouldn't generate an error or mkdir should

mkdir -p a/../b      # no error
rmdir -p a/../b      # error, but a & b removed

2) similar comment to above -- leading to:

 for rmdir, if "-p" is used, then as similar to "mkdir -p":
   (no error if existing, make parent directories as needed)

rmdir -p should be
   "no error if dir not empty, but directories are followed
and deleted as possible".

======> seems to be best wording & solution:

"mkdir -p", it seems should really be restated to:

    follow given path and make directories as possible"

then "rmdir -p" could be

    "follow given path and delete directories if empty"

Does that look reasonable?

linda w.