From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG  Tue Jul  6 14:26:21 2004
Return-Path: <owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG>
Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125])
	by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id B8E6816A4CE
	for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>;
	Tue,  6 Jul 2004 14:26:21 +0000 (GMT)
Received: from mynah.mail.pas.earthlink.net (mynah.mail.pas.earthlink.net
	[207.217.120.228])
	by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id A45CE43D1F
	for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>;
	Tue,  6 Jul 2004 14:26:21 +0000 (GMT)
	(envelope-from algould@datawok.com)
Received: from 20-74.lctv-b4.cablelynx.com ([24.204.20.74]
	helo=[192.168.63.10])
	by mynah.mail.pas.earthlink.net with asmtp (TLSv1:RC4-MD5:128)
	(Exim 4.34)	id 1Bhqtp-0008QK-HE
	for freebsd-questions@freebsd.org; Tue, 06 Jul 2004 07:26:21 -0700
From: "Andrew L. Gould" <algould@datawok.com>
To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Date: Tue, 6 Jul 2004 09:27:29 -0500
User-Agent: KMail/1.6.2
References: <3703.209.167.16.15.1089123354.squirrel@209.167.16.15>
In-Reply-To: <3703.209.167.16.15.1089123354.squirrel@209.167.16.15>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Disposition: inline
Content-Type: text/plain;
  charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Message-Id: <200407060927.29771.algould@datawok.com>
X-ELNK-Trace: ee791d459e3d6817d780f4a490ca69564776905774d2ac4b891fcf7bfdbc44418027cdb5e2810e64350badd9bab72f9c350badd9bab72f9c350badd9bab72f9c
X-Originating-IP: 24.204.20.74
Subject: Re: Removing thousands of files using rm
X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1
Precedence: list
List-Id: User questions <freebsd-questions.freebsd.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>,
	<mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-questions>
List-Post: <mailto:freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>
List-Help: <mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>,
	<mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 06 Jul 2004 14:26:21 -0000

On Tuesday 06 July 2004 09:15 am, Steve Bertrand wrote:
> I often have the need to remove hundreds or even thousands of files
> from a single directory (very often). Using rm, I usually get:
>
> pearl# rm -rvf *
> /bin/rm: Argument list too long.
>
> Is there any way to work around this instead of having to select a
> small bunch of files at a time to remove?
>
> The directory I am trying to remove the files from is always hot, so
> deleting the directory is unfortunately not an option. (I don't
> think).
>
> Any assistance is greatly appreciated.
>
> Tks all,
>
> Steve

You could always write a short script that reads and loops through the 
directory contents; and deletes one file (or a group of files) at a 
time.  It would take a little longer, but at least it would be 
automated.

Andrew Gould