FreeBSD/UNIX: Hard linked directories? How to remove?

[Superwormy]

OK, I have a (what I think is) hard link called /usr/local/www/testHomeDirs which links to /home.

I want to delete the /usr/local/www/testHomeDirs directory, BUT NOT DELETE ALL THE STUFF IN THE /home directory.

rm -i testHomeDirs tells me 'testHomeDirs is a directory.'


How can I just delete the link, without deleting all of my files?

 

[doornail]

Hmmm, I thought you couldn't make a hard link to a directory.

What does:

$ file testHomeDirs

give you?

 

[Bluestealth]

rmdir*

 

[Superwormy]

# file testHomeDir
testHomeDir: directory

I don't know exactly what I did to get it like this, I did it a while ago... I think you might be able to create hard links to directories, but just as root or something...?

Will rmdir delete the files in the directory?
# rmdir testHomeDir
rmdir: testHomeDir: Directory is not empty

 

[n0cmonkey]

I can't seem to make a hardlink to a directory on OpenBSD, even as root.

ln -id testHomeDir
ln -id /home

 

[doornail]

Wow, that's odd. I assume:

# file /home

Gives the same?

Iffen I was you, I'd:

*** Edit: don't use this yet, it didn't seem to copy the ownership correctly when I tried ***

# cp --preserve --recursive /home /home.backup
# rm -rf /usr/local/www/testHomeDirs

(and if /home is gone)
# mv /home.backup home

(else)
# rm -rf /home.backup

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: doornail
Wow, that's odd. I assume:

# file /home

Gives the same?

Iffen I was you, I'd:

*** Edit: don't use this yet, it didn't seem to copy the ownership correctly when I tried ***

# cp --preserve --recursive /home /home.backup
# rm -rf /usr/local/www/testHomeDirs

(and if /home is gone)
# mv /home.backup home

(else)
# rm -rf /home.backup

Those options aren't available in cp(1). Those are GNUisms.

 

[Bluestealth]

Originally posted by: Superwormy
# file testHomeDir
testHomeDir: directory

I don't know exactly what I did to get it like this, I did it a while ago... I think you might be able to create hard links to directories, but just as root or something...?

Will rmdir delete the files in the directory?
# rmdir testHomeDir
rmdir: testHomeDir: Directory is not empty

Not sure how you linked it... but yes rmdir probably would erase /home given that error message.

 

[scottws]

Wait a minute....

Now, I can't say I can call myself an expert or anything, but in a Linux system admin class I took I learned that hard links are basically two files with the same inode (whereas a symbolilc link simply points to another inode iirc).

Personally, I think it's safe to delete testHomeDir. However, you might have to copy the entire contents of /home to some other place for backup, then clear out everything there in order for it to appear empty so that you can remove testHomeDir.

 

[Nothinman]

No sane system will allow you to create hardlinks to directories because it makes impossible to detect infinite loops. I would backup the directory and run fsck on the drive, there's a good chance it'll 'fix' the situation by removing one of the links, if one really is a hard link.

Those options aren't available in cp(1). Those are GNUisms.

It's not our fault you have a subpar cp. =)

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: Nothinman

Those options aren't available in cp(1). Those are GNUisms.

It's not our fault you have a subpar cp. =)

I prefer to think of it as streamlined.