Re: RM command

[Bob Proulx]

> I can't remove a directory. I want to remove a lot of users. I am root but
> I get a message "can't unlink directory"
> 
> rm -Rvif _____  is the command I am using

Thank you for your report.  But I can't reproduce your problem.  You
do not include way to reproduce it nor the version of your command (rm
--version).  I am guessing that _____ is not really the name of the
directory you are removing.

If you could check the latest test release to be sure the problem
you're reporting has not already been fixed:

  ftp://alpha.gnu.org/gnu/fetish/

Also, the -i option and -f option are not usually used together.  The
-f option being last overrode the previous -i option.  That is by
design so that an alias rm='rm -i' will work as 'rm -f', aka 'rm -i -f'
when called.

See the online standards docs for an alternate source of documentation.

  http://www.unix-systems.org/single_unix_specification_v2/xcu/rm.html

A possible reason that files cannot be removed is if a file is 'busy'
because a process is still running and other reasons that the unix
kernel requires.  Or perhaps a second filesystem is mounted on top of
a directory in the tree of files you are trying to remove.

Bob