bug#12400: rmdir runs "amok", users "curse" GNU...(as rmdir has no option to stay on 1 file system)...

[L A Walsh]

On 2/10/2019 1:52 PM, Bob Proulx wrote:
> L A Walsh wrote:
>>>> If you want a recursive option why not use 'rm -rf'?
>> rmdir already provides a recursive delete that can cross
>> file system boundaries
> 
> Please provide an example.  Something small.  Something concrete.
> Please include the version of rmdir.

The original bug stems from having to use wild cards to delete
all files in a directory instead of '.', as in being told to use:

rm -fr --one-filesystem foo/*

instead of 

rm -fr --one-filesystem foo/. or 
cd foo && rm -fr --one-filesystem .


The recommended solution to use foo/* won't stay on 1 file
system, while an alternative using '.' would.

if I use rm --one-filesystem  a b c, I could be deleting
files off of 3 file systems.  Why would the argument be named
'one-filesystem' if there as no way to ensure that all files
were only on 1 file system?