[ILUG] Deleting a file with a "--" prefix

[Chris Higgins]

> 
> Hi all,
> 
> Quick question for you all: how can I delete from the console a file called
> "--preserve-permissions" that some twit created.   Neither "rm" nor "mv"
> will work as standard as they both assume that I am trying to pass some
> option.


You could try 'rm -i *' if your version of 'rm' isn't new... or


 From man pages :

       GNU rm, like every program that uses the  getopt  function
       to  parse  its  arguments,  lets  you use the -- option to
       indicate that all following arguments are non-options.  To
       remove  a  file  called `-f' in the current directory, you
       could type either
              rm -- -f
       or
              rm ./-f
       The Unix rm program's use of a single `-' for this purpose
       predates the development of the getopt standard syntax.



This second option is the preferred one... it's far too easy to
forget the '-i' in the first (which is why people have a tendancy
to create files called -i all over the place...)

> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Ruairi
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
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-- 
** Chris Higgins                         e: chris.higgins at horizon.ie **
** Technical Business Development        tel: +353-1-6204916            **
** Horizon Technology Group              fax: +353-1-6204949            **