rmm(7)                   Mac OS X Darwin customization                  rmm(7)



NAME
       rmm - emulates unix rm but uses the OS X Trash

SYNOPSIS
       rmm [ -dfiPRrvW ] file ...

DESCRIPTION
       rmm  This  script  emulates  the  GNU rm function, except that it moves
       files to the user's Trash directory, instead of unlinking them.  Spaces
       may  be  used in file names if the arguments are quoted and you can use
       file name globbing. File name globbing means using wildcards,  "*",  to
       represent  the  uncommon  characters in a group of file names sharing a
       unique intersection of characters.  Usage is hopefully identical to the
       usage  of  the GNU rm function. It will normally only move files to the
       ~/.Trash directory. The -d, or --directory option  will  allow  you  to
       move  empty  directories.  To  move nonempty directories, use -r, -R or
       --recursive option. The script will move files, descending in  a  depth
       first  into subdirectories. It will move the directories upon returning
       from the recursive calls. In interactive  mode,  the  directories  will
       only  be  moved  if you answered in the affirmative for movement of all
       files contained therein.

       In all cases, it will report every action taken in verbose mode, -v  or
       --verbose,  and  prompt before taking action in interactive mode, -i or
       --interactive. Although prompting isn't that  important  for  a  script
       that  doesn't  destroy anything, (it uses CpMac to copy so doesn't even
       destroy resource forks) it is a good idea to use the  interactive  mode
       to get in the habit of using the real thing.

       Although  it's  relatively compact, (organized in functions called from
       argument list and glob resolution  loops)  it  is  still  an  elaborate
       script  and not nearly as fast as the compiled executable. Of course it
       hardly matters in interactive mode, right?


Braggadocia
       This script will not clobber anything in your Trash. Like  the  Finder,
       if the file name (or directory) already exists in the Trash, the script
       will automatically append a " copy" to the end of the file or directory
       name.  Further, the script unlocks all files that it moves, so emptying
       the trash should never be a problem.

       The latest version has a  small  functional  change  resulting  from  a
       redesign.  Recursive  rm asks about directories upon entry. The results
       are saved in variables that use indirect reference. I've  been  wanting
       to play with that!

       The  script  could  change  ownership if one wanted to write that in. I
       didn't however, because that would likely fail. Moving  or  removing  a
       file requires the ability to write to the containing directory.  Chang-
       ing ownership requires the same privilege of the file,  which  you  may
       not  have.  Having the script change file ownership would result in its
       assigning ownership to root when invoked with "sudo". This would result
       in  files  owned  by  root  being  created  in the Trash.  Hence, it is
       preferable to change ownership separately, with the chmod command.


WEBSITE
       http://www.cs.ecu.edu/~collins/rm/rm.html

AUTHOR
        Gary Kerbaugh

SEE ALSO
       rm(1), unlink(1)





Mac OS X                        January 1 2005                          rmm(7)