What file types can the rm command not delete?

as92 · 02-14-2013, 05:05 AM

Hello everyone.
To complete my piece of work I need to name a type of file that cannot be deleted by the rm command. I've searched google monotonously but I can't seem to find an answer for it. Any help would be great, thanks!

ButterflyMelissa · 02-14-2013, 05:27 AM

Hi,

Welcome to the forum ... where we do not take the habit of helping out with your homework...but, since you're new here

, and may not have read the rules yet, here's the man page on rm..

Thor

linosaurusroot · 02-14-2013, 05:31 AM

You can't remove files that have already been removed. For instance if you "rm /dev/zero" twice you can watch what happens the 2nd time. (Don't try this on hosts you aren't prepared to fix if they break.)

as92 · 02-14-2013, 05:45 AM

Sorry and thank you!

ButterflyMelissa · 02-15-2013, 03:11 AM

Quote:

Sorry and thank you!

DO NOT APOLOGISE!!! No need to. Asking a question (no matter how silly someone thinks it is) is what this place is about...No question is too silly to be asked here...believe me...I should know...

Did these answers help you? Do you need more input? Again: welcome here

Thor

colucix · 02-15-2013, 07:53 AM

What about a file with the immutable bit set? Example:

Code:

# touch /tmp/file
# chattr +i /tmp/file
# lsattr /tmp/file
----i--------e- /tmp/file
# rm /tmp/file
rm: remove regular empty file `/tmp/file'? y
rm: cannot remove `/tmp/file': Operation not permitted

shivaa · 02-15-2013, 08:28 AM

As far as I know rm can delete any type of file. But a wierd thought coming in my mind, if you're not logged in as root/super-user, then even using rm you cannot delete any write protected (i.e. file having no write permission) file for any user, whatever it's type is.

David the H. · 02-17-2013, 05:45 PM

Not true. You can remove a file you don't have permissions for, as long as you have write permission for the directory its sitting in.

file permissions control access to the contents of the file. directory permissions control what you can do to the things that exist in the directory.

shivaa · 02-17-2013, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David the H.

Not true. You can remove a file you don't have permissions for, as long as you have write permission for the directory its sitting in.

file permissions control access to the contents of the file. directory permissions control what you can do to the things that exist in the directory.

Thanks for correction David. OP can conclude that rm won't delete files/dir. which are inside a write protected directory. Or user cannot delete a file/dir. from a directory that has set sticky bit and user isn't it's owner or root.