Of course, if you're in doubt about what you're referring to, you probably don't want to be using "-rf" ("rm -ri \~" would be safer) but I understand that it gets to be a habit :-)
Adam Voigt wrote:
You need to do an escape, for example:
"vi ~"
Will tell you your trying to open a directory, and infact list the contents, but this:
"vi \~"
Will create a new file, called ~, so logically, you could use:
"rm -rf \~"
On Mon, 2004-04-19 at 11:09, Martin Stone wrote:
Alexander Dalloz wrote:
Am Mo, den 19.04.2004 schrieb Vano Beridze um 09:17:
Hello
I've accidentally (from a java program) created a directory named ~ in
my home directory.
Because ~ is a synonim for a home directory how can I delete this directory safely?
I mean I don't want to delete my whole home directory just that wierd
one.
Thank you Vano
Besides the other suggestions, as a general annotation too, on bash you can use
command -- special_sign_name
The leading "--" tells the shell that the following is no options set. So in your case it would be while you are in the directory where the miscreated directory is placed
rm -rf -- ~
You can use this too if you accidentally created i.e. a file named "-f"
rm -f will not work, but rm -- -f will do.
Alexander
No. "rm -rf -- ~" absolutely WILL expand the ~ and remove your home directory! The expansion of "~" is done by bash, not the rm command. The -- only tells rm not to treat what follows as an option; it does not tell bash not to expand "~". I would hope that you would test before posting such inaccurate and dangerous advice.
