MISS026%ECNCDC.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU (GREENY) (12/11/87)
I have been sitting back lately and reading many a message on how to deal with the problems that RM * can cause, and it occured to me that if one has a problem with not knowing how a command will react with certainty (such as the use of RM $* over a network [where $ represents an alphanumeric character of a group to files to kill (e.g. rm a*)]) then one SHOULD NOT MAKE USE OF SUCH A COMMAND. It is much safer to simply type the entire file name and make use of the rm -i option to be certain that the system actually received what you typed. As a rule I have always steered away from RM * or RM $* after one bad experience with it. Usually I will send myself a note (I use the rs system for this purpose...) to remind myself to delete the file. Then at the end of the week I compile all of these filenames and their ABSOLUTE pathname into a file, and have a shell script remove each file for me. If I perform this action over a network then I make certain to use the rm -i command to counter against the possibility of noise bursts on the line altering a filename. In summary, I believe that there are a number of valid ways in which to deal with the RM * problem, and my above solution is only one of a multitude. However, the number of messages on the supposed 'problem' is getting to be a little boring to read. How about we move onto something else? :-) bye for now but not for long... Greeny Bitnet: Miss026@ecncdc Internet: Miss026%ecncdc.bitnet@cunyvm.cuny.edu <- I think...this is new Disclaimer: What? Who? Me? Nope...not me...you *MUST* have the wrong hacker!!
gallmeis@wasp.cs.unc.edu (Bill Gallmeister) (12/11/87)
Back where I come from, we have a saying. My colleagues there, who taught me most things I know, use this saying to great advantage with those who remove all their files by mistake, or wait for an hour for "cat" with no arguments to come back. The saying is, "A power tool is not a toy." UNIX is a power tool. Also a trade mark of Bell Labs. - bill o Bill O. Gallmeister unc!gallmeis "A power tool is not a toy."