$ sudo rm -rf / === NPM install

Re:$ sudo rm -rf / === NPM install by initplus on Tuesday November 09, 2021 @07:08PM (#29169325)

More serious than users fatfingering the command were scripts with code like

  rm -rf /$MYVAR

If you don't set $MYVAR and don't set bash to error on unset variables you are in for trouble.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:$ sudo rm -rf / === NPM install by OJFord on Tuesday November 09, 2021 @07:32PM (#29169540)

I don't recall which one it is (u for unset perhaps?) but I cover this by starting every (bash, E and pipefail are not POSIX) script with `set -eEuo pipefail`. All should be the default IMO, I don't understand - other than back-compat - why you wouldn't want them.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:$ sudo rm -rf / === NPM install by SAI_Peregrinus on Tuesday November 09, 2021 @09:05PM (#29170288)

It's -u.

You can also prevent this by never using $VAR, and instead always using ${VAR:?} to exit with error if VAR is unset (or use one of the other options to provide a default).

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:$ sudo rm -rf / === NPM install by andrewmackrodt on Wednesday November 10, 2021 @09:28AM (#29174960)

A lesson I learnt several years ago when I discovered that mktemp behaves differently on macOS versus the GNU version in Linux.

From that day onward I always make sure the first line of my bash scripts contains at least "set -e".

[ Parent | on HN ]