bug#12339: Bug: rm -fr . doesn't dir depth first deletion yet it is documented to do so.

[Linda Walsh]

Bernhard Voelker wrote:
> On September 6, 2012 at 12:56 PM Linda Walsh <address@hidden> wrote:
>
> > Jim Meyering wrote:
> > > Thanks for the patch, but it would be pretty rotten for GNU rm to make
> > > it so "rm -rf ." deletes everything under ".", while all other vendor
> > > rm programs diagnose the POSIX-mandated error.  People would curse us
> > > for making GNU rm remove their precious files when they accidentally ran
> > > that command.
> > ---
> >
> > Just like people who ran "rm -fr * in /" and didn't get their POSIX
> > mandated behavior, would curse you?
> >
> > You are playing Mommy, to people and not allowing them to do what
> > they are asking the computer to do.
> >
> > [... and ~40 lines re. Jim, GNU, POSIX, the universe ...]
>
> Dear Linda,
>
> why don't you stick to the point?
----
        I wasn't the one who raised the point of people
cursing Gnu for removing their precious when they accidently or deliberately
tried to invoked rm in a way to generate a non-functional behavior.

        If we were going to talk about them cursing gnu, I thought
I would fully put it in perspective.

        That's what that exposé was about.

        Note -- that it wasn't personally directly, and included listed
facts for a stronger counterpoint to what, admittedly, was likely a lightly
given reason for not changing a default behavior.  It was addressing
that comment, alone.

        You want an on-point counter proposal:

        Might I suggest this as a rational counter proposal.


        If the user issues rm -r ., it issues a warning:

"Do you really wish to remove all files under '.'"?

        That won't break compatible behavior.  Only if the user chooses
the non-default 'force' option "do what I say and shut up", which is not
a default option", would it do the action I suggest.

        In any case, if POSIX_CORRECTLY is set, it will act as per POSIX 
requirements.

        It is TELLING, and important to understand Jim's statement
" Very few people ever set that envvar."  Most people don't want strict POSIX
compatbility -- for reasons exactly like this -- the POSIX isn't about 
usability, it's
about program portability.  So for interactive use, it wouldn't be something 
most
people would want to use.