topic Re: How do I create a script to Purge all files in a Directory except for the latest 100??? in Operating System - HP-UX

How do I create a script to Purge all files in a Directory except for the latest 100???

Shaun Aldrich — Mon, 21 Aug 2000 15:32:40 GMT

Re: How do I create a script to Purge all files in a Directory except for the latest 100???

James R. Ferguson — Mon, 21 Aug 2000 15:35:37 GMT

Shaun:

Please define what you mean by "latest". Is this a modification timestamp, or simply the last 100 files in a directory, as ordered by normal collation?

...JRF...

Re: How do I create a script to Purge all files in a Directory except for the latest 100???

Shaun Aldrich — Mon, 21 Aug 2000 15:44:40 GMT

Thanks for the reply. To clarify this better I am looking for more of a script which will delete all but the latest 100 files in the directory according to timestamp.

I am not very good at all at creating scripts so any help is greatly appreciated!!!

Thanks, Shaun Aldrich

You can email me at SAldrich@chaptersinc.com

Re: How do I create a script to Purge all files in a Directory except for the latest 100???

Tom Danzig — Mon, 21 Aug 2000 15:58:15 GMT

Try this:

rm `ls -1t | tail +102`

Please test this on some unneeded files first to insure it works as desired!

Re: How do I create a script to Purge all files in a Directory except for the latest 100???

Victor BERRIDGE — Mon, 21 Aug 2000 16:08:18 GMT

rm $(ls -t|head -n100 )

Re: How do I create a script to Purge all files in a Directory except for the latest 100???

James R. Ferguson — Mon, 21 Aug 2000 16:11:14 GMT

Shaun:

Try something like this:

FILES=`ls -t $MYDIR` #...collect by mod time
COUNT=`echo $FILES | wc -w` #...get how many
let N=COUNT-100 #...keep 100 of them...
FILES=`echo $FILES | cut -f1-$N -d " "`
rm $R

...JRF...

Re: How do I create a script to Purge all files in a Directory except for the latest 100???

James R. Ferguson — Mon, 21 Aug 2000 16:17:47 GMT

Shaun:

Sorry, the script should look like:

Shaun:

Try something like this:

FILES=`ls -t $MYDIR` #...collect by mod time
COUNT=`echo $FILES | wc -w` #...get how many
let N=COUNT-100 #...keep 100 of them...
FILES=`echo $FILES | cut -f1-$N -d " "` #...list's head
rm $FILES

Re: How do I create a script to Purge all files in a Directory except for the latest 100???

Shaun Aldrich — Mon, 21 Aug 2000 16:37:25 GMT

Thanks a lot James...

Is that the only 5 lines I would need in my script? Like I said, unfortunately my scripting ability is very poor right now.

Shaun Aldrich

Re: How do I create a script to Purge all files in a Directory except for the latest 100???

Victor BERRIDGE — Mon, 21 Aug 2000 16:55:15 GMT

My first solution was too short?
OK
What about with FOR :
#
for FILE in `ls -t|head -n10`
do
rm $FILE
done

Regards
Victor

Re: How do I create a script to Purge all files in a Directory except for the latest 100???

James R. Ferguson — Mon, 21 Aug 2000 17:02:42 GMT

Shaun:

Other than defining $MYDIR to that of your choosing, yes, the script is complete as written. You could define MYDIR as, for instance MYDIR=/tmp/log* to match all files beginning with "log" in the /tmp.

My suggestion is but one solution. Welcome to UNIX where there is always more than one way to do anything!!!

...JRF...

Re: How do I create a script to Purge all files in a Directory except for the latest 100???

Shaun Aldrich — Mon, 21 Aug 2000 17:04:18 GMT

Hi Victor,

Thanks for the response. In the first line of the FOR LOOP what is the second word FILE specified for? Is it a variable?

Will this delete all of the files in the directory except for the latest 100 in terms of timestamp?

Your help is greatly appreciated...

Re: How do I create a script to Purge all files in a Directory except for the latest 100???

Victor BERRIDGE — Mon, 21 Aug 2000 17:20:53 GMT

Sorry Shaun,
I was on the phone while writing the first post and got confused with what I was asked by phone...
Of course not my script would have erased the last 100..
Since you want to keep the last 100 there is the solution that James put down for you:
1) count first to know how many files to be removed
2) remove them.

Other solutions exists but James has an elegant one...

Best regards
Victor

Re: How do I create a script to Purge all files in a Directory except for the latest 100???

Victor BERRIDGE — Mon, 21 Aug 2000 17:41:47 GMT

lets hope this one is a good one, so that you can forgive me...

for FILE in `ls |grep -v "$(ls -t|head -n100)"`
do
echo $FILE
done

James, I want your comments, what do you think of this?

Best regards
Victor

Re: How do I create a script to Purge all files in a Directory except for the latest 100???

Ed Hon — Mon, 21 Aug 2000 17:43:08 GMT

What happens if there are less than 100 files?

Re: How do I create a script to Purge all files in a Directory except for the latest 100???

Victor BERRIDGE — Mon, 21 Aug 2000 17:48:38 GMT

with the echo instead of rm I tried when ther is less and got not candidates echoed, thus me asking your advice (well James...) on can you trust this result?

Victor

Re: How do I create a script to Purge all files in a Directory except for the latest 100???

Shaun Aldrich — Mon, 21 Aug 2000 17:52:35 GMT

Hi Victor,

Where do you put the rm command within the four lines of the statement you just sent me? All files but the latest 100 must be deleted in the directory. Does the rm command go in after that 4 line statement?

Thanks for your help Victor and others....

Re: How do I create a script to Purge all files in a Directory except for the latest 100???

Victor BERRIDGE — Mon, 21 Aug 2000 17:56:48 GMT

Instead of :
echo $FILE

You should put rm $FILE

Best regards
Victor

Re: How do I create a script to Purge all files in a Directory except for the latest 100???

James R. Ferguson — Mon, 21 Aug 2000 17:59:26 GMT

Shaun:

Victor's solution is an elegant solution too.

Shaun, you might want to add some logic to exit if there are less than 100 files. In total, a recap of my solution is as follows. Variables are in UPPERCASE.

MYDIR=/tmp/mylog* #...whatever...
FILES=`ls -t $MYDIR` #...collect by mod time
COUNT=`echo $FILES | wc -w` #...get how many
if (( COUNT < 100 ))
then
exit 0
fi
let N=COUNT-100 #...keep 100 of them...
FILES=`echo $FILES | cut -f1-$N -d " "` #...list's head
rm $FILES

...JRF...

Re: How do I create a script to Purge all files in a Directory except for the latest 100???

Tom Danzig — Mon, 21 Aug 2000 18:07:11 GMT

rm `ls -1t | tail +101`

will work even if there are less than 100 files.

Re: How do I create a script to Purge all files in a Directory except for the latest 100???

James R. Ferguson — Mon, 21 Aug 2000 18:10:15 GMT

Shaun:

Please remember that points for those of us who have provided input are greatly appreciated!

...JRF...