rm -rf fails

Martin Fuhrer <[email protected]> Sat, 25 Oct 2003 14:01:36 -0600
Newsgroups gmane.comp.gnu.fileutils.bugs
Message-ID <[email protected]>
I'm using rm from the fileutils package, installed from source via the  
fink distribution on Mac OS X 10.2.8.  I notice that rm -rf frequently  
fails for directories with large numbers of files in them.  For  
example, after installing unpacking and installing kdelibs from  
/sw/src, rm -rf is unable remove some of the directories.  The standard  
BSD installed rm in /bin/rm has no problems.  I've included a sample  
terminal session below.

I'd be happy to provide any extra information you need.

Thanks,

Martin


Darwin script executed.

[[email protected]: /Users/mfuhrer]
[1] cd /sw/src

[[email protected]: /sw/src]
[2] /usr/local/bin/rm --version
rm (fileutils) 4.1
Written by Paul Rubin, David MacKenzie, Richard Stallman, and Jim  
Meyering.

Copyright (C) 2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.  There is  
NO
warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR  
PURPOSE.

[[email protected]: /sw/src]
[3] sudo /usr/local/bin/rm -rf root-kdelibs3-3.1.2-3/
/usr/local/bin/rm: cannot remove directory  
`root-kdelibs3-3.1.2-3/sw/share/doc/kde/en/kdelibs-3.1.2-apidocs/kdeui/ 
html': Directory not empty
/usr/local/bin/rm: cannot remove directory  
`root-kdelibs3-3.1.2-3/sw/share/doc/kde/en/kdelibs-3.1.2-apidocs/ 
kdeui': Directory not empty
/usr/local/bin/rm: cannot remove directory  
`root-kdelibs3-3.1.2-3/sw/share/doc/kde/en/kdelibs-3.1.2-apidocs/khtml/ 
html': Directory not empty
/usr/local/bin/rm: cannot remove directory  
`root-kdelibs3-3.1.2-3/sw/share/doc/kde/en/kdelibs-3.1.2-apidocs/ 
khtml': Directory not empty
/usr/local/bin/rm: cannot remove directory  
`root-kdelibs3-3.1.2-3/sw/share/doc/kde/en/kdelibs-3.1.2-apidocs/kio/ 
html': Directory not empty
/usr/local/bin/rm: cannot remove directory  
`root-kdelibs3-3.1.2-3/sw/share/doc/kde/en/kdelibs-3.1.2-apidocs/kio':  
Directory not empty
/usr/local/bin/rm: cannot remove directory  
`root-kdelibs3-3.1.2-3/sw/share/doc/kde/en/kdelibs-3.1.2-apidocs':  
Directory not empty
/usr/local/bin/rm: cannot remove directory  
`root-kdelibs3-3.1.2-3/sw/share/doc/kde/en': Directory not empty
/usr/local/bin/rm: cannot remove directory  
`root-kdelibs3-3.1.2-3/sw/share/doc/kde': Directory not empty
/usr/local/bin/rm: cannot remove directory  
`root-kdelibs3-3.1.2-3/sw/share/doc': Directory not empty
/usr/local/bin/rm: cannot remove directory  
`root-kdelibs3-3.1.2-3/sw/share': Directory not empty
/usr/local/bin/rm: cannot remove directory `root-kdelibs3-3.1.2-3/sw':  
Directory not empty
/usr/local/bin/rm: cannot remove directory `root-kdelibs3-3.1.2-3':  
Directory not empty

[[email protected]: /sw/src]
[4] /bin/rm
usage: rm [-f | -i] [-dPRrvW] file ...
        unlink file

[[email protected]: /sw/src]
[5] sudo /bin/rm -rf root-kdelibs3-3.1.2-3/

[[email protected]: /sw/src]
[6]