Linux

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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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Tried to rm -r my .cache but accidentally did .config instead... (lemmy.ml)

submitted 1 month ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

58 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I'm a complete moron, I should've had that backed up and used trash...
I had to learn the hard way lol

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[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 month ago (4 children)

Here's a rule I learned the hard way a few decades ago:

If you type "rm", take you hands off the keyboard and take one deliberate breath before continuing your command.
If you then type "-r", do it again.
If you then type "-f" do it again.
In all cases, re-read what you wrote before hitting ENTER.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 month ago (3 children)

I'm a big fan of starting the command with a #, then removing it once I'm happy with the command to defend against accidentally hitting enter

Putting ~ next to the enter key on keyboards (at least UK ones) was an evil villain level decision

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 month ago (1 children)

When I'm unsure, I ls <the-glob>, chek, then replace ls with rm.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

This. When the ls command works, hit ctrl-a, meta-d, type rm, enter.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

Oh, didn't knew about Alt d. Thx

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

I really like this # idea. I've also taken to holding off on adding sudo when deleting privileged files

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

I never thought of doing that in 40 years. It's a great idea actually. Thanks!

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Or have backups (lol)

[–] [email protected] 23 points 1 month ago (1 children)

AND have backups.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

In the few years of me exclusively using the command line to manage files, even having rm aliased to rm -rf, and at some point to sudo rm -rf, out of convenience, I think it has happened thrice that I deleted the wrong file, and twice I was able to restore it with (hourly) backups. The third time, it was a minecraft world which I had created to test some mods and the server start script, and I had excluded it from backups because my ~/games dir is usually only used by steam.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago

Also, triple-check which machine you're actually logged into.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

-i doesn't exist?