How to remove directory with asterisk in name

Jim232 · 10-17-2018, 09:17 AM

OK, I have painted myself into a corner , again.
I used "Remote File Path" as "/root*" .
Now I am having some issues with my crosscompiler (TCF) and like to get rid of the "asterisk" in root*.
Here is what I have done so far.
I am really at lost why using same command I got two different outputs from ls. One with the "root*" and one without.

FYI - I am not sure if the TCF can "create " "Remote File Path", but it works as a default from "root" and I have in no postilion to try to change that.

Code:

root@pi:~# cd ..
root@pi:/# ls
bin   boot.bak	etc   home*  lost+found  mnt  proc  root*  sbin  sys  usr
boot  dev	home  lib    media	 opt  root  run    srv	 tmp  var
root@pi:/# rm home*
rm: cannot remove 'home': Is a directory
root@pi:/# rm root*
rm: cannot remove 'root': Is a directory
root@pi:/# cd root*
root@pi:~# ls
root@pi:~# ls 
root@pi:~# cd ..
root@pi:/# ls
bin   boot.bak	etc   lib	  media  opt   root  sbin  sys	usr
boot  dev	home  lost+found  mnt	 proc  run   srv   tmp	var
root@pi:/# cd ..
root@pi:/# ls
bin   boot.bak	etc   lib	  media  opt   root  sbin  sys	usr
boot  dev	home  lost+found  mnt	 proc  run   srv   tmp	var
root@pi:/# ls
bin   boot.bak	etc   lib	  media  opt   root  sbin  sys	usr
boot  dev	home  lost+found  mnt	 proc  run   srv   tmp	var
root@pi:/#

bradvan · 10-17-2018, 09:20 AM

Code:

rm -r home\* root\*

should do it.

muhammednavas · 10-17-2018, 09:24 AM

rm -r home\* root\*

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Jim232 · 10-17-2018, 10:01 AM

????

Quote:

pi@pi:~ $ rm -r home\* root\*
rm: cannot remove 'home*': No such file or directory
rm: cannot remove 'root*': No such file or directory
pi@pi:~ $

root@pi:/# ls
bin boot.bak etc lib media opt root sbin sys usr
boot dev home lost+found mnt proc run srv tmp var

BW-userx · 10-17-2018, 10:04 AM

just like it says,
[code]
rm -r root\*
[\code]
is escaping \ the * so it sees it as a * and not a wildcard.

just be leery when using -r with rm
if you want to keep the directory and just rename it replace rm with mv

Code:

move root\* root

example

Code:

┌─[userx@parrot]─[~]
└──╼ $mkdir oops*
┌─[userx@parrot]─[~]
└──╼ $ls
 Desktop     Downloads   Music    Pictures   Templates
 Documents   Dropbox    'oops*'   Public     Videos
┌─[userx@parrot]─[~]
└──╼ $mv oops\* oops
┌─[userx@parrot]─[~]
└──╼ $ls
Desktop    Downloads  Music  Pictures  Templates
Documents  Dropbox    oops   Public    Videos



rmdir oops

yours explained

Code:

root@pi:~# cd ..
root@pi:/# ls
bin   boot.bak	etc   home*  lost+found  mnt  proc  root*  sbin  sys  usr
boot  dev	home  lib    media	 opt  root  run    srv	 tmp  var
root@pi:/# rm home*
rm: cannot remove 'home': Is a directory
root@pi:/# rm root*
rm: cannot remove 'root': Is a directory
root@pi:/# cd root*
root@pi:~# ls
root@pi:~# ls 
root@pi:~# cd ..
root@pi:/# ls
bin   boot.bak	etc   lib	  media  opt   root  sbin  sys	usr
boot  dev	home  lost+found  mnt	 proc  run   srv   tmp	var
root@pi:/# cd ..
root@pi:/# ls
bin   boot.bak	etc   lib	  media  opt   root  sbin  sys	usr
boot  dev	home  lost+found  mnt	 proc  run   srv   tmp	var
root@pi:/# ls
bin   boot.bak	etc   lib	  media  opt   root  sbin  sys	usr
boot  dev	home  lost+found  mnt	 proc  run   srv   tmp	var
root@pi:/#

rm will only remove dir if it is empty, else it fails, this is why rm -r is used to remove contents within dir first then the directory because everything is seen as a file, even directories.

why home and root no got the * asterisk anymore, don't know, what did you do?

MadeInGermany · 10-17-2018, 12:52 PM

Nothing against the \* (character quoting by a backslash prefix),
but I find the "string" quoting less error-prone.

Code:

mkdir "/home*"
rmdir "/home*"

You remove it like you created it.