Re: rm -iR

[Greg Troxel <gdt%lexort.com@localhost>]

Jan Schaumann <jschauma%netmeister.org@localhost> writes:

> Greg Troxel <gdt%lexort.com@localhost> wrote:
>
>> We should ensure that the code and the man page conform to POSIX
>
>> https://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9799919799/utilities/rm.html
>
> I think that language can be interpreted to justify
> either behavior.

I sort of thought that at first, but there is a recursion rule, and if
you read the spec like a computer, I think only the macos/linux behavior
is ok.  But it's really hard for me to be sure I'm reading it right.

>> It's a good question how FreeBSD documents -i and processes it.
>
> FreeBSD behaves (and documents) like NetBSD.

Perhaps -i arose in BSD.  rm's -r option is earlier; I am pretty sure I
remember it from Seventh Edition and probably Sixth.

and to mouse about -r vs -R, posix says:

  -R
      Remove file hierarchies. See the DESCRIPTION.
  -r
      Equivalent to -R.