this post was submitted on 12 Jan 2025
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Ok. What is the actual use case for “rm -rf /“ even if you know what you are doing and using extreme caution? If you want to wipe a disk, there are better ways to do it, and you certainly wouldn’t want that disk mounted on / when you do it, right?
There probably isn't one and there really doesn't have to be one. The ability to do it is a side effect of the versatility of the command.
You might be right. But I’d like to hear from other bone users.
I don't get to use the bone all that often, but when I do, it is quite effective; much like the amazing efficacy of running rm on the root of the entire filesystem recursively with the force modifier.
None. Remember that the response is AI generated. It's probabilistically created from people's writings. There are strong relations between that command and other 'dangerous commands.' Writings about 'dangerous commands ' oft contain something about how they should 'only be run by someone who knows what they are doing' so the response does too.
There isn't. It's just the fact that it will. The command can/is used often to remove other directories
isn't the command meant to be used on a certain path? like if you just graduated high school, you can just run "rm -rf ~/documents/homework/" ?
Correct me if im wrong, i assume switch "-rf" is short for "Root File", for the starting point of recursion
No, -r and -f are two different switches. -r is recursive, used so that it also removes folders within the directory. -f is force (so overriding all confirmations, etc).
TIL
It's two switches. The f makes the operation forced. And the r makes the operation recursive.
TWRP has an option "use rm -rf instead of formatting".
I always wondered why they included that!
I think it was something with some formatting command implementations being broken.
Set up a remote access system on client/customer machines for tech support. When a customer doesn't pay, and notices have been sent and not replied to, and they won't answer your calls: this, on all their machines with past due payments.
Then when they call you in a panic, give them the same kindness and respect that they have given to you, down to the number of days since contact was stopped. Gotta twist that knife for maximum effectiveness. Then and only then should you consider answering their cries of agony.
(now I've never had a client payment issue, usually it's quite some time before they need my assistance again so I take payment in full at completion, not tabs/payment plans; but hypothetically...)
when you're in a chroot and you want to wipe only that whole part. you can't format the chroot, because it's just a subtree of the filesystem you want to keep.
Ok I was thinking of a chroot env as being the only possible use case for this command.
My point was, the ai wasn’t talking about “rm” in general.