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Path: utzoo!utcs!mnetor!seismo!husc6!think!mit-eddie!genrad!decvax!wanginst!tupper
From: tupper@wanginst.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.unix-wizards
Subject: Warning about rm
Message-ID: <79@wanginst.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 15-Jul-86 13:30:22 EDT
Article-I.D.: wanginst.79
Posted: Tue Jul 15 13:30:22 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 16-Jul-86 06:32:08 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: Wang Institute, Tyngsboro, Ma.  01879
Lines: 17

Today I ran the following command:

	rm -r /student/tupper/.dead/.*

I was trying to remove alot of files with names like .signature, .login, .etc.
The shell expanded my wild card to include /student/tupper/.dead/. and
(this is the important part -->) /student/tupper/.dead/.. (that's "dot-dot")!

Now rm cleverly makes sure you don't remove "..", but it does not check for
".." at the end of a path name (it does strcmp of filename against "..").

Thus rm, recursivly removed /student/tupper/.dead/.. , which happens to
be my home directory (/student/tupper).

While I wait for the operator to restore my most of my account, I thought I
would pass my experience on for the benefit of others (I've already read
news).