Re:I Accidentally Deleted 7TB of Videos Before Going to Prod...
by dredmorbius on Thursday May 05, 2022 @09:03PM
(#31280040)
No, mv.
Example:
cd datadir
mkdir delete
mv <list of files to be deleted> ./delete
# test to see if anything looks broken.
# This might take a few seconds, or months, though it's usually reasonably brief.
rm -rf ./delete
The reasons for mv:
- It's atomic (on a single filesystem). There's no risk of ending up with a partial operation or an incomplete operation.
- It doesn't copy the data, it renames the file. (mv and rename are largely synonyms.)
- There's no duplication of space usage. Where you're dealing with large files, this is helpful.
The process is similar to the staged deletion most desktop OS users are familiar with, of "drag to trash, then empty trash". Used in the manner I'm deploying it, it's a bit more like a staged warehouse purge or ordering a dumpster bin --- more structured / controlled staged deletion than a household or small office might use.
Example:
The reasons for mv:- It's atomic (on a single filesystem). There's no risk of ending up with a partial operation or an incomplete operation.
- It doesn't copy the data, it renames the file. (mv and rename are largely synonyms.)
- There's no duplication of space usage. Where you're dealing with large files, this is helpful.
The process is similar to the staged deletion most desktop OS users are familiar with, of "drag to trash, then empty trash". Used in the manner I'm deploying it, it's a bit more like a staged warehouse purge or ordering a dumpster bin --- more structured / controlled staged deletion than a household or small office might use.