Unix Cold blooded?

[peter_q]

So I'm in this unix class, which is helping me learn about linux and stuff too... And we went around mkdiring and touching... Making all these cute little files. I got to spend time with em--going around cding and stuff. catting all the outputs...

But then came time to stop using the terminal... Then the horrible command rm -rf came about...

Oh the horror. No "Are you sure" or "Won't you miss them?" prompts... I should have aliased to rm -i...

It just felt so inhumane... A whole directory massacared. And all I see is the cold, hollow user$_

[smartboyathome]

Just DON'T RUN rm -rf /* as it will kill your system.

[Kareeser]

The unix program "rm" does one thing, removing files, and it does it well. That's a core linux philosophy

So rm assumes you know what the heck you're doing when you add the "f" switch.

[t0p]

I agree with the OP. All commands that have the potential to be harmful should be removed from Linux forthwith.

Also, only fluffy bunnies should be allowed as screensaver images. Why would anyone want something more vicious than a fluffy bunny on their display?

[jespdj]

Maybe they should replace the "-f" switch with something more elaborate. Like this:

rm -r -yes-I-really-want-to-destroy-my-system-please-let-me-do-it *

[Yownanymous]

Why would anyone want something more vicious than a fluffy bunny on their display?

Might I direct you here?

[tjwoosta]

the #1 rule with unix commands

RTFM!!

if you would have read the man entry for rm you would have noticed what each of the flags does

-r, -R, --recursive
remove directories and their contents recursively

-f, --force
ignore nonexistent files, never prompt

[mcduck]

Maybe they should replace the "-f" switch with something more elaborate. Like this:

rm -r -yes-I-really-want-to-destroy-my-system-please-let-me-do-it *

That would be quite funny

I kind of miss the good old "glxgears --iacknowledgethatthistoolisnotabenchmark"

[insane_alien]

Just DON'T RUN rm -rf /* as it will kill your system.

i tried it ages ago. it DOESN'T kill your system...

...until you reboot.

although you won't be able to run any program that isn't cached in RAM after this command has done its dirty work.

[Mehall]

i tried it ages ago. it DOESN'T kill your system...

...until you reboot.

although you won't be able to run any program that isn't cached in RAM after this command has done its dirty work.

Did that to a EEE in John Lewis. That's what they get for not putting a passwd on sudo.