[task #15997] safe-rm - a safe front end to rm using perl

[Boud Roukema]

URL:
  <https://savannah.nongnu.org/task/?15997>

                 Summary: safe-rm - a safe front end to rm using perl
                 Project: Maneage
            Submitted by: boud
            Submitted on: Fri 25 Jun 2021 08:40:14 PM UTC
         Should Start On: Fri 25 Jun 2021 12:00:00 AM UTC
   Should be Finished on: Fri 25 Jun 2021 12:00:00 AM UTC
                Category: None
                Priority: 5 - Normal
                  Status: None
                 Privacy: Public
        Percent Complete: 0%
             Assigned to: None
             Open/Closed: Open
         Discussion Lock: Any
                  Effort: 0.00

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Details:

The program _safe-rm_ [1] is a perl script which acts as a front end to _rm_
to reduce the chance of catastrophic results of using recursive, forced remove
commands. This could provide an alternative to _set -u_ (see task 15996 [2])
for this purpose.

The disadvantage is that this depends on _perl_, adding in an extra
dependence. Installing as a step after the installation of _perl_ might be
reasonable.

Another disadvantage is that users of the _safe-rm_ package might not realise
that the _rm_ command has been symlinked to the _safe-rm_ front-end script,
and may not learn the danger of true _rm_.

In version 0.12-2+deb9u1, the script itself is only 228 lines, so should not
be too difficult to check. The script checks a default list of directories
which _safe-rm_ will refuse to recursively delete, such as /, /home, /bin,
/boot, /usr/bin. For root-protected directories, this is (in principle)
irrelevant for Maneage. However, /home is relevant.

I think that this is worth considering, but more arguments and for and against
are needed.

[1] https://tracker.debian.org/pkg/safe-rm
[2] https://savannah.nongnu.org/task/index.php?15996





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