topic Re: Delete a file in Operating System - HP-UX

Delete a file

Mark Brook — Wed, 31 Dec 2003 09:43:44 GMT

I have somehow managed to create a file on our unix box without a filename. So when you list the files in the directory you get the following

file123

file124

How can I remove a file, without a filename?

Thanks

Mark

Re: Delete a file

john korterman — Wed, 31 Dec 2003 09:48:58 GMT

Hi,
tricky if the file has no name. Try to execute ls -b and show us what appears.

regards,
John K

Re: Delete a file

RAC_1 — Wed, 31 Dec 2003 09:51:29 GMT

ls -lbi

note down inode no.

then

find . -num inode_no -exec rm -fr {} \;

Re: Delete a file

Mark Brook — Wed, 31 Dec 2003 10:26:20 GMT

I have done the ls -lbi and the filename is \ma123.

Wasnt sure about using the find then rm options, since I read what -rf does.

Can you remove the file using the id number?

Thanks

Mark

Re: Delete a file

john korterman — Wed, 31 Dec 2003 10:34:42 GMT

Hi again,
as RAC says, use the inode number for removing the file. The inode number is the number appearing left of the filename when executing ls -bi. It should be enough if you just do this:
# cd to the right directory
# find . -inum -exec rm {} \;

which will remove the file having and nothing else.
It is important to be in the right directory as the inode numbers are only unique within each filesystem!

but it is perhaps a good idea to touch another file (with a name) and practice on that first.

regards,
John K.

Re: Delete a file

steven Burgess_2 — Wed, 31 Dec 2003 10:35:49 GMT

Nope

You need the file name

HTH

Ste

Re: Delete a file

A. Clay Stephenson — Wed, 31 Dec 2003 10:36:01 GMT

No, rm will not use inode numbers. You coulkd use the find ... -exec rm {} \; without the fr options if it will make you feel better.

Another option is to use the interactive version of rm:

rm -i *a123

That will prompt you for a y/n for each file matching the pattern. As soon as you see your file, answer y to delete it and then you can ctrl-c (or whatever your INTR is set to) to end the rm command.

Re: Delete a file

lawrenzo — Wed, 31 Dec 2003 11:23:45 GMT

what if you used rm -i *

Re: Delete a file

Vitek Pepas — Wed, 31 Dec 2003 12:35:55 GMT

Try this:
ls > list.txt
then vi list.txt and remove all lines except of your 'blank' filename, then
rm `cat list.txt`