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How to remove a directory called "--"

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# 1  
Old 01-13-2009
How to remove a directory called "--"
I need to remove a directory called "--"". But it seems "--" linked to /export/home/usr1, which I do not want to delete. How to rm "--" safely?

Quote:
usr1@hostname1:/xxx/xxxx/xx/xxxx/dir1$ ls -l
drwx--S--- 2 usr1 group1 96 Aug 29 2005 --

usr1@hostname1:/xxx/xxxx/xx/xxxx/dir1$ cd --
usr1@hostname1$ pwd
/export/home/usr1
The OS is Solaris 9.
Thanks.
# 2  
Old 01-13-2009
Try to delete it using a ftp client.
# 3  
Old 01-13-2009
perl -e 'rmdir("--")'
# 4  
Old 01-13-2009
First thing that I'd recommend, is to make a backup of /export/home/usr1

Then, from the /XXX/XXXX/XX/XXXX/dir1 directory, run this command:
Code:
rm -rf ./--<filename>

...
If it was a file, you could easily delete it via it's inode number
Code:
ls -il
find . -inum <number>| xargs rm

Last edited by avronius; 01-13-2009 at 01:01 PM.. Reason: removed incorrect recommendation
# 5  
Old 01-13-2009
Also the -- thing when given to cd results in the current directory. Your directory is not a link.
# 6  
Old 01-13-2009
quite easy

rm doesn't accept -- on first position, same as touch, rmdir and almost every other standard command


so user it on second place

rm blablo --

blablo must not exist

also for creating such files, you can use "touch blablo --"

for some jokes with colleagues Smilie
öhm I mean for better understanding!!!!

Edit: rmdir, not rm
# 7  
Old 01-13-2009
Thanks a lot!
As you said, "--" is not linked to /export/home/usr1.

rm -rf ./-- works!
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