GNU bug report logs - #7775
rm -f emits no error message when deleting nonexistent file

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From: help-debbugs <at> gnu.org (GNU bug Tracking System)
To: Jeremy Hetzler <jeremyhetzler <at> gmail.com>
Subject: bug#7775: closed (Re: bug#7775: rm -f emits no error message when
 deleting nonexistent file)
Date: Mon, 03 Jan 2011 16:55:02 +0000

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Your bug report

#7775: rm -f emits no error message when deleting nonexistent file

which was filed against the coreutils package, has been closed.

The explanation is attached below, along with your original report.
If you require more details, please reply to 7775 <at> debbugs.gnu.org.

-- 
7775: http://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug=7775
GNU Bug Tracking System
Contact help-debbugs <at> gnu.org with problems

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From: Bob Proulx <bob <at> proulx.com>
To: Jeremy Hetzler <jeremyhetzler <at> gmail.com>
Cc: 7775-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#7775: rm -f emits no error message when deleting
	nonexistent file
Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2011 10:01:21 -0700

Jeremy Hetzler wrote:
> rm normally produces an error when you delete a nonexistent file. However,
> under -f, you get no error message. I would argue this is a bug.

Thank you for the bug report.  But this is not a bug.  That is the
correct and desired behavior.  That is the way it is supposed to work.
This is documented in the manual.

  $ info coreutils 'rm invocation'

  `-f'
  `--force'
       Ignore nonexistent files and never prompt the user.  Ignore any
       previous `--interactive' (`-i') option.

This is core behavior and is also standardized across all Unix
systems.  Here is a pointer to the online standards documentation.

  http://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/009695399/utilities/rm.html

Bob

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From: Jeremy Hetzler <jeremyhetzler <at> gmail.com>
To: bug-coreutils <at> gnu.org
Subject: rm -f emits no error message when deleting nonexistent file
Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2011 10:12:26 -0500

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rm normally produces an error when you delete a nonexistent file. However,
under -f, you get no error message. I would argue this is a bug.

-- Jeremy Hetzler

-------------------------------------

520 $ /bin/rm nonexistent
/bin/rm: cannot remove `nonexistent': No such file or directory

521 $ /bin/rm -f nonexistent

522 $ rm --version
rm (GNU coreutils) 8.5
Packaged by Cygwin (8.5-2)
Copyright (C) 2010 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html
>.
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

Written by Paul Rubin, David MacKenzie, Richard M. Stallman,
and Jim Meyering.

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