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Date: Sun, 3 Mar 2013 04:17:42 +0100
From: Polytropon <freebsd@edvax.de>
To: "Julian H. Stacey" <jhs@berklix.com>
Subject: Re: rm -R
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References: <51323A76.2040203@webrz.net>
 <201303022246.r22MjUfO034030@fire.js.berklix.net>
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On Sat, 02 Mar 2013 23:45:30 +0100, Julian H. Stacey wrote:
> Hi,
> Reference:
> > From:		Jos Chrispijn <kernel@webrz.net> 
> > Date:		Sat, 02 Mar 2013 18:44:22 +0100 
> > Message-id:	<51323A76.2040203@webrz.net> 
> 
> Jos Chrispijn wrote:
> > 
> > Teske, Devin:
> > > rm -R -- -S
> > >
> > > The "--" tells it "here's the end of the options, here come the file/directories"
> > 
> > Almost:
> > 
> > rm -R --  -S;
> > 
> > did it, thanks very much for you help!
> 
> This also works
> 	rmdir ./-S
> (& is probably the best generic naming method, & was valid decades
> ago, before rm got the luxury of modern stuff eg -- & would work
> for other commands that might not have delimieters such as -- )
> This also work but is over kill :
> 	rmdir './-S'

Just note that the ; has been part of the name in question,
so the "end of command" sign would have to be part of the
directory name: "rmdir ./-S;" and "rmdir './-S;' would be
the alternatives to "rm -R -- -S;".

I'd be interested in what happens when you have such a
directory name and press PF8 in the Midnight Commander
in order to delete it.

Now go ahead and create a file "*" in / and tell a junior
sysadmin to remove it. ;-)


-- 
Polytropon
Magdeburg, Germany
Happy FreeBSD user since 4.0
Andra moi ennepe, Mousa, ...