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Old 11-07-2020, 03:39 AM   #1
kevinbenko
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Problem Directory named "file:"keeps showing up.

I may have mentioned this earlier I cannot find the thread.

Using Debian Testing with some unstable packages, of course

It happens EVERY TIME I login to a different windowing manager: XFCE, XFCE, Plasma, Fluxbox, and probably others.

The structure of the directory is that of a mail directory:

===
./file:
/home
kevin/
.local/
share/
local-mail/
cur/
new/
tmp/

===

I have deleted kmail, and installed thunderbird... no change.

So what the {bad-word} is going on with my system?
It doesn't break anything, but this has been {upsetting} me for several months.

Has this happened to anyone else?
Does anyone have any suggestions to help me fix this?

Thank you for your time, and have a good day!
 
Old 11-07-2020, 03:46 AM   #2
scasey
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What command are you issuing to get that listing?
(Please use code that’s to post output....see the link in my signature)
 
Old 11-07-2020, 05:45 AM   #3
ondoho
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kevinbenko View Post
The structure of the directory is that of a mail directory:

===
./file:
/home
kevin/
.local/
share/
local-mail/
cur/
new/
tmp/

===
What is this? What are you showing us there?
I'd prefer
Code:
ls -al file\:
If you want to know what generates it, you have to dig deeper. Look at some files inside etc.
 
Old 11-07-2020, 07:41 PM   #4
kevinbenko
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OK, I did ls -alR file\:/

{the listing is kind-of long... sorry}

Output is

// BEGIN

kevin@kevhome:~$ ls -alR file\:/
'file:/':
total 12
drwxr-xr-x 3 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 .
drwxr-xr-x 92 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:37 ..
drwxr-xr-x 3 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 home

'file:/home':
total 12
drwxr-xr-x 3 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 .
drwxr-xr-x 3 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 ..
drwxr-xr-x 3 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 kevin

'file:/home/kevin':
total 12
drwxr-xr-x 3 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 .
drwxr-xr-x 3 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 ..
drwxr-xr-x 3 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 .local

'file:/home/kevin/.local':
total 12
drwxr-xr-x 3 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 .
drwxr-xr-x 3 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 ..
drwxr-xr-x 3 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 share

'file:/home/kevin/.local/share':
total 12
drwxr-xr-x 3 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 .
drwxr-xr-x 3 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 ..
drwxr-xr-x 5 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 local-mail

'file:/home/kevin/.local/share/local-mail':
total 20
drwxr-xr-x 5 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 .
drwxr-xr-x 3 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 ..
drwxr-xr-x 2 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 cur
drwxr-xr-x 2 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 new
drwxr-xr-x 2 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 tmp

'file:/home/kevin/.local/share/local-mail/cur':
total 8
drwxr-xr-x 2 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 .
drwxr-xr-x 5 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 ..

'file:/home/kevin/.local/share/local-mail/new':
total 8
drwxr-xr-x 2 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 .
drwxr-xr-x 5 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 ..

'file:/home/kevin/.local/share/local-mail/tmp':
total 8
drwxr-xr-x 2 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 .
drwxr-xr-x 5 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 ..
kevin@kevhome:~$

// END

HOWZAT???
 
Old 11-07-2020, 07:43 PM   #5
kevinbenko
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Also, I did a quick logout and login and the evil directory was there.....
 
Old 11-08-2020, 05:23 AM   #6
ondoho
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Please wrap your command output in CODE tags...
 
Old 11-08-2020, 06:14 AM   #7
MadeInGermany
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I think the file: prefix is too much.

Please give output of the following commands
Code:
env | grep file:
echo $HOME
getent passwd $USER
 
Old 11-08-2020, 06:45 AM   #8
ondoho
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ondoho View Post
If you want to know what generates it, you have to dig deeper. Look at some files inside etc.
Funny how people always read only half of my posts.
 
Old 11-09-2020, 08:42 PM   #9
kevinbenko
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Code:
kevin@kevhome:~$ ls -alR file\:/
'file:/':
total 12
drwxr-xr-x 3 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 .
drwxr-xr-x 92 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:37 ..
drwxr-xr-x 3 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 home

'file:/home':
total 12
drwxr-xr-x 3 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 .
drwxr-xr-x 3 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 ..
drwxr-xr-x 3 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 kevin

'file:/home/kevin':
total 12
drwxr-xr-x 3 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 .
drwxr-xr-x 3 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 ..
drwxr-xr-x 3 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 .local

'file:/home/kevin/.local':
total 12
drwxr-xr-x 3 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 .
drwxr-xr-x 3 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 ..
drwxr-xr-x 3 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 share

'file:/home/kevin/.local/share':
total 12
drwxr-xr-x 3 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 .
drwxr-xr-x 3 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 ..
drwxr-xr-x 5 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 local-mail

'file:/home/kevin/.local/share/local-mail':
total 20
drwxr-xr-x 5 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 .
drwxr-xr-x 3 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 ..
drwxr-xr-x 2 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 cur
drwxr-xr-x 2 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 new
drwxr-xr-x 2 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 tmp

'file:/home/kevin/.local/share/local-mail/cur':
total 8
drwxr-xr-x 2 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 .
drwxr-xr-x 5 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 ..

'file:/home/kevin/.local/share/local-mail/new':
total 8
drwxr-xr-x 2 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 .
drwxr-xr-x 5 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 ..

'file:/home/kevin/.local/share/local-mail/tmp':
total 8
drwxr-xr-x 2 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 .
drwxr-xr-x 5 kevin kevin 4096 Nov 7 19:31 ..
kevin@kevhome:~$
 
Old 11-09-2020, 08:45 PM   #10
kevinbenko
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To MadeInGermany:

kevin@kevhome:~$ env | grep file\:/
kevin@kevhome:~$ echo $HOME
/home/kevin
kevin@kevhome:~$ getent passwd $USER
kevin:x:1000:1000:Kevin Benko,,,:/home/kevin:/bin/bash
kevin@kevhome:~$



Howzat?
 
Old 11-09-2020, 08:50 PM   #11
kevinbenko
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Yes, I know it is part of a email program that is causing my problems. I once used Kmail, but now I use Thunderbird.

Could my problem a remnant of Kmail?

I have been beating my head against my keyboard (figuratively) for many months.

Yeah.... I could have the system automatically delete THAT directory via a crontab entry, but that does not really fix the problem.....

Hey, all, that you all for continually trying to help me.
 
Old 11-09-2020, 09:05 PM   #12
frankbell
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./file is a very strange path in a Linux system.

Have you tried any of these commands?

[CODE]ls ./file
rm -r ./file
rm -r .file[
/CODE]
 
Old 11-10-2020, 01:32 AM   #13
ondoho
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I'm almost 100% sure that OP has some stray, possibly self-made script or service running (or maybe a broken TB addon) that has some sort of error in it. We won't be able to find it, but evtl. OP will find it, it will be facepalm all around, problem solved, sorry for wasting your time...

A lot could be cleared up by actually looking at the file inside the folder in question, but apparently that is too much to ask.
 
Old 11-11-2020, 01:10 AM   #14
MadeInGermany
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kevinbenko View Post
To MadeInGermany:

kevin@kevhome:~$ env | grep file\:/
kevin@kevhome:~$ echo $HOME
/home/kevin
kevin@kevhome:~$ getent passwd $USER
kevin:x:1000:1000:Kevin Benko,,,:/home/kevin:/bin/bash
kevin@kevhome:~$



Howzat?
Zats okay.
Search for the file: prefix in your files
Code:
cd
find . -type f -size -100 -exec grep "file:" {} +
 
  


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