Script to delete older files not running .

linuxlover.chaitanya · 01-10-2009, 04:06 AM

Hello all,

I have got a script that deletes the files older than 1 day.

Code:

find /path/to/files -type f -mtime +1 | xargs rm -f

But After running this script no file is being deleted. I still have all the files intact in the directory that are older than 1 day.
Anything that need to be changed.

billymayday · 01-10-2009, 04:12 AM

I do mine off ctime, but I guess it depends what you want. I don't bother with xargs for this either, I use -exec.

Does just

Code:

find /path/to/files -type f -mtime +1

throw anything up?

Vit77 · 01-10-2009, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by linuxlover.chaitanya

Code:

find /path/to/files -type f -mtime +1 | xargs rm -f

Actually, I'd recommend to use -exec option in a find command, like:

Code:

find /path/to/files -type f -mtime +1 -exec rm -f {} \;

yzhong · 01-11-2009, 06:09 PM

I use the following it works

touch -d "5 days ago" /tmp/OLD
find . -name '*' ! -newer /tmp/OLD -type f -print0|xargs -0 rm -rf {}

(notes:-print0 will always print the exact filename,can handle space, new line... otherwise file like "ABC DEF.xxx" won't delete)

linuxlover.chaitanya · 01-11-2009, 11:08 PM

None of the find commands are working. I tried both of them before coming here.

your_shadow03 · 01-11-2009, 11:44 PM

Try This...It wont disappoint you :

Code:

find /path/to/files* -mtime +5 -exec rm {} \;

linuxlover.chaitanya · 01-11-2009, 11:58 PM

Tried the command with -mtime +1 to delete all the files older than one day. Todays 12th Jan and it should delete files created on 10th Jan. But its not deleting them.

your_shadow03 · 01-12-2009, 12:06 AM

Do this:

Find those files first through

Code:

find /path/to/files* -mtime +5

And Then try deleting anyone of them directly through :

Code:

rm -fr

Is it working?
I guess the permission being the issue?
Do check.

linuxlover.chaitanya · 01-12-2009, 12:12 AM

Permissions are not the issues. I know bit about linux.
I resolved it. I do not know but removing "+" preceding mtime did it for me.
I went through man page for find more than couple of time and then just gave it a chance and it deleted all the files created on 10th Jan.

chrism01 · 01-12-2009, 01:25 AM

The key point from the manpage:

Code:

       Numeric arguments can be specified as

       +n     for greater than n,

       -n     for less than n,

       n      for exactly n.

linuxlover.chaitanya · 01-12-2009, 01:27 AM

Yeah I went through it and felt I should give it a try. But mtime should have worked since I had some files that were older than 1 day. So it should have deleted them with mtime +1