I'm using Cygwin 1.7.x.

Every time the rm command is used Cygwin creates .cyg000 files. I have found only one person addressing the issue. Apparently there is some kind of behavior in Cygwin that acts like a pseudo trash bin. The problem is these files don't disappear when the Cygwin session is terminated.

How to stop these files from being created or delete them as quickly as possible. I am trying to deploy Cygwin in an enterprise network and I can't have these pseudo trash files all over the place. I don't want any kind of trash bin behavior.

Deleting them from within Cygwin is impossible because the rm command is what creates the files. Something in Cygwin intercepts the rm command and is moving files rather than actually deleting.

The following command in a batch script does not seem to work:

For /f "tokens=*" %%i in ('dir "S:\.cyg000*" /A:H /B') Do (rmdir /s /q "S:\%%i")

I won't pretend to be an expert in batch file programming and any help is appreciated.

I need to keep this as simple as possible --- no third party tricks.

The ideal solution is something in Cygwin that can be configured to stop this behavior.

Any ideas?

Thanks much!

In fact, it might be a *Microsoft* version of "rm.exe" that's exhibiting this behavior:

http://cygwin.com/ml/cygwin/2001-08/msg00772.html

In any case, one solution is to modify your environment to alias "rm" to "rm /x".

'Hope that helps .. PGM

Thanks. That might be the case for some people, but I am using the native (linux) rm command in the cygwin environment, not the Microsoft rm command. The whereis command shows only /bin/rm and /usr/bin/rm. No rm commands in the path from Windows directories.

Possibly this behavior is by design: http://cygwin.com/ml/cygwin/2010-07/msg00067.html

A clunky workaround: in my batch file that runs Cygwin I execute the following command after Cygwin terminates:

For /f "tokens=*" %%i in ('dir "S:\.cyg000*" /a:h /b') Do (erase /a:h /q "S:\%%i")

I am hoping others might still be able to shed light on a better solution.

Moved: This thread is more suitable in <GENERAL> and has been moved accordingly to help your thread/question get the exposure it deserves.

Looks like both of the following are needed in the batch script file:

For /f "tokens=*" %%i in ('dir "S:\.cyg000*" /a:h /b') Do (erase /a:h /q "S:\%%i")
For /f "tokens=*" %%i in ('dir "S:\.cyg000*" /a:h /b') Do (rmdir /s /q "S:\%%i")