Baslinux mailing list

[ruohtula AT netscape.net (Erkki Ruohtula)]

James Miller wrote:
> like a really helpful alias for a much used Linux system command - rm.  It
> links rm to rm -i , which asks the user for confirmation before deleting
> any file with the rm command.  To set up the alias on your system do
> -----------------
> alias rm='rm -i'
> -----------------
> After you do this, any time you issue "rm fileuwannadelete.txt" you get a
> response from the system "rm: remove 'fileuwannadelete.txt'?"  Press
> "n" or "y" keys accordingly.

As a long-time Unix and Linux user I must object.
This commonly seen "helpful" redefinition of "rm" is one of
those things in life that initially looks like a good idea,
but in reality creates worse problems than it solves.

The chief problem is that if you get into the
habit of using "rm" on a lot of files, relying on
it asking for confirmation, and then use someone elses
Linux or Unix system where it has the original behaviour,
you are sunk.

It is also a bother when you really want to get
rid of lots of files.

Creating a safer file deletion command is fine, but under
no circumstances call it "rm". Instead give it a different
name, like "del" or "erase".

In general, redefining _any_ standard POSIX command
to have nonstandard behaviour is a very bad idea,
except in those cases when the new behaviour is
clearly a backward-compatible extension, like a
completely new option.

Erkki


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