topic Re: Cannot Delete File in Operating System - HP-UX

Cannot Delete File

Amit Dixit_2 — Sun, 07 Aug 2005 18:25:36 GMT

Hi,
I am having a file which when I do a ll appears in the directory listing, when I try to delete it system gives error message

"No such file or directory"

Permission on the file is rw-r-r and I cannot change permission as well error message "Cant Access".

What could be the issue ?

Thanks,
Amit.

Re: Cannot Delete File

Warren_9 — Sun, 07 Aug 2005 19:43:39 GMT

hi,

i think you filename may contains some control character, try to use "rm -i *filename*" to remove the file.

Re: Cannot Delete File

Rita C Workman — Sun, 07 Aug 2005 20:09:30 GMT

Get the inode with ll -i and then do as Warren suggest. Or maybe would rm "file name in quotes" work for ya.

Rgrds,
Rita

Re: Cannot Delete File

morganelan — Sun, 07 Aug 2005 20:53:07 GMT

May be there are some control characters attached to the file name.

# echo * | cat -v

Look for any control characters displayed

# rm -rf *application*

Re: Cannot Delete File

Devender Khatana — Sun, 07 Aug 2005 21:23:28 GMT

Hi,

ll with -b option can also be used to display files with special characters. Once you find there are special characters in the file remove it using rm with -i option as you use wild characters in the arguments.

#ll -b

#rm -i *filename or filename*

(Put * depending upon the location of control character in the file)

HTH,
Devender

Re: Cannot Delete File

vinod_25 — Sun, 07 Aug 2005 21:29:48 GMT

hi Amit

As others say this is due to a special character incorporated in your file...

One more trick that I use is

rm (filename)

Where is the escape key
Hit the escape key twice and that will auto complete the command and will automatically find the name with hidden/non ascii characters and complete the word.

cheers!!!

Vinod

Re: Cannot Delete File

Matthew_50 — Sun, 07 Aug 2005 21:34:22 GMT

Get the directory i-node number
1. #ll -i directoryname|awk '{print $1}'

Verify i-node number via find
2. #find $PWD -inum XXXXXXX -exec ll {} \;

If output match the directory name, then
3. #find $PWD -inum XXXXXXX -exec rm -rf {} \;

Re: Cannot Delete File

Mark Grant — Wed, 10 Aug 2005 02:22:43 GMT

If you're really bored and need yet another approach

ls > somefile

edit "somefile" to remove everything except the file you want to remove and insert an "rm " in front of the file name. Then save it.

sh somefile

I like to do it that way sometimes just to see how odd the filename really is.

Re: Cannot Delete File

Mark Grant — Wed, 10 Aug 2005 02:23:53 GMT

Oops, didn't see how old this one was.

Re: Cannot Delete File

Cem Tugrul — Wed, 10 Aug 2005 02:45:55 GMT

Amit,

it depends on some control charecters
i have also many end-users and many times
they use turkish characters while creating
files although i warn them so when i want to
reduce FS about their home dir i face same
problems...the solution i prefer;

rm -i filename

And also i sometimes apply as Mark's solution

Good Luck,