• @[email protected]
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      4 months ago

      rm -rf /* will work just fine (assuming sudo permissions ofc)

      You need the additional flag for rm -rf --no-preserve-root /

      • @[email protected]
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        454 months ago

        Too many people got trolled into “removing the French language pack” on Linux systems that there’s now a check to see if someone is deleting every file off their computer (including the os system files). --no-preserve-root is the option you need to include to actually delete all the files off your system.

      • wander1236
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        304 months ago

        Contrary to the memes, Linux does actually sometimes try to stop you from shooting yourself in the foot

        • @rtxn
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          264 months ago

          Yes, do as I say!

          • @[email protected]
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            64 months ago

            Every time I get one of these even if I 100% feel like I know what I’m doing it strikes a deep fear in me

              • @SkyeHarith
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                4 months ago
                
                touch me
                touch a
                touch sandwich
                sudo make me a sandwich
                
                
      • @[email protected]
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        144 months ago

        Overrides the protection in place that prevents you from deleting the root of your filesystem.

  • Onno (VK6FLAB)
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    844 months ago

    One of my colleagues managed to accidentally run something like rm -rf /var/tmp/ * on a Solaris machine that was the mail server for the entire organisation.

    After the command finished they realised that the inadvertent space in front of the asterisk meant that the command did slightly more damage than intended.

    They were told to leave the machine running to be able to fix it from a backup, but they rebooted instead.

    An open file is still usable even after it’s been deleted, so the kernel and shell were still up and running … before the reboot …

    If I recall, it took weeks to fix, involving floppy disks, Sun engineers and much egg on face.

    • Kairos
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      4 months ago

      The rm command REALLY needs to have the -f flag changed edit: to mean “ignore write protection” not “go turbo fuckery mode”

      • Onno (VK6FLAB)
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        244 months ago

        Yeah, except for root that is exactly how it works.

        As root you are permitted to shoot your own foot and are expected to know how to aim.

        • Kairos
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          34 months ago

          Actually its the same as it overrides confirmation settings…