[SOLVED] excluding a folder from "rm -r" in solaris

mahmoodn · 03-08-2011, 05:42 AM

How can I remove all folders in a specific directory except one folder (solaris)?
for example I have these folders:
/home/mahmood/a
/home/mahmood/b
/home/mahmood/c
/home/mahmood/d
/home/mahmood/e

How can I use "rm -r" to remove b/ c/ d/ e/ but preserve a/ ??
there is no --exclude-dir o something similar.

kbp · 03-08-2011, 05:55 AM

How about something like 'find /<some_dir> ! -path "<exclude_dir_glob>" | xargs -Ideleteme rm -rf deleteme' ? .. (not tested)

cheers

mahmoodn · 03-08-2011, 08:05 AM

Code:

bash-3.00# ls
a  b  c  d  e
bash-3.00# find ./ ! -path "a" | xargs -Ideleteme rm -rf deleteme 
find: bad option -path
find: [-H | -L] path-list predicate-list
bash-3.00#

mahmoodn · 03-08-2011, 08:22 AM

I found it

Code:

find . ! -name "a" -exec rm -rf {} +

will remove b, c, d, e and preserve a

colucix · 03-08-2011, 08:25 AM

Indeed the -path predicate is not available in Solaris, but you can use -name as well and the -prune predicate to exclude an entire branch of the directory tree:

Code:

find /home/mahmood/* -type d -name a -prune -o -exec echo rm -r {} \;

jlliagre · 03-08-2011, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mahmoodn

I found it

Code:

find . ! -name "a" -exec rm -rf {} +

will remove b, c, d, e and preserve a

Beware that it will remove any file and directory under a.

colucix · 03-08-2011, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlliagre

Beware that it will remove any file and directory under a.

Good catch, jlliagre! I was testing with an empty directory.

At this point I think the -prune solution is the only way to achieve the task.

mahmoodn · 03-11-2011, 10:42 PM

I din't receive any emails afte my last post...

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlliagre

Beware that it will remove any file and directory under a.

Yes you are right

Quote:

Originally Posted by colucix

Indeed the -path predicate is not available in Solaris, but you can use -name as well and the -prune predicate to exclude an entire branch of the directory tree:

Code:

find /home/mahmood/* -type d -name a -prune -o -exec echo rm -r {} \;

This is the best command. Thanks

Blinker_Fluid · 03-13-2011, 12:53 PM

you guys are overthinking this...
rm -rf /home/mahmood/[bcde]