Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2006 00:36:28 +0100 From: Joerg Pernfuss <elessar@bsdforen.de> To: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Subject: Re: [patch] rm can have undesired side-effects Message-ID: <20061030003628.42bc5f8d@loki.starkstrom.lan> In-Reply-To: <20061029222847.GA68272@marvin.astase.com> References: <20061029222847.GA68272@marvin.astase.com>
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--Sig_6OnIi496Ye01RJ76_ZatY=U Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable On Sun, 29 Oct 2006 23:28:47 +0100 Romain Tartiere <romain-tartiere@astase.com> wrote: > The rm utility provides a "-P" option for overwriting files before > removing them. I was wondering about the behaviour of it on regular > files with more than one hard link. > I just wrote a few lines in a file, created an hard link to it and "rm > -P" the first one. The content of the second one was just lost too. Of course. It is the same file. Every other outcome would indicate a serious bug somewhere in the filesystem code. > I guess that it can be fixed (in case it is not desired) by: > - Ignoring the -P option when the link count is greater then one, or Silently ignoring user specified options is seldom a good way to go. The user explicitly stated he wants to wipe the file contents. > - Asking the user whether he is ready to lose data, assuming "no" if > the -f option is set, or > - Asking the user whether he is ready to lose data, assuming "yes" if > the -f option is set. As -f is the `i know how to shoot my feet' option, a user should be allowed to do so, therefor the second one of these two is better. I guess it boils down to the question how well people understand the linkcount in `ls -l' and how much FreeBSD wants to hold the user's hand. Personally, i'd go nuts if rm(1) constantly asks if I am sure I want to delete that file, because deleted files are lost. If I ever want that, I can set `rm -i' as alias for rm. Joerg --=20 | /"\ ASCII ribbon | GnuPG Key ID | e86d b753 3deb e749 6c3a | | \ / campaign against | 0xbbcaad24 | 5706 1f7d 6cfd bbca ad24 | | X HTML in email | .the next sentence is true. | | / \ and news | .the previous sentence was a lie. | --Sig_6OnIi496Ye01RJ76_ZatY=U Content-Type: application/pgp-signature; name=signature.asc Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=signature.asc -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.2.2 (FreeBSD) iD8DBQFFRTr8H31s/bvKrSQRAr9+AJ44c/CoBqrts86vXa+G1Xg8S6CU7ACeO46n Wu6LU20fqfCZAJ2daa3rlrE= =1TnD -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- --Sig_6OnIi496Ye01RJ76_ZatY=U--
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