trash

Section: Linux User's Manual (1)
Updated: 24-Jan-1995
Index Return to Main Contents

NAME

trash - trashcan substitute for /bin/rm

SYNOPSIS

[1] trash file [ file ... ]

[2] trash { --list | --view }

[3] trash --empty

[4] trash --help

DESCRIPTION

trash provides a simple trashcan facility for the shell command line. trash `deletes' files by moving them to a `trashcan' directory, which defaults to $HOME/.trash. trash can manage a user's trashcan with the --view and --empty commands.

Trashing Files

To `trash' files, invoke trash with the names of the files to be deleted (style [1] above). If a user has permission to move the files using mv(1), trash will be able to put them in the user's trashcan (symbolic links, for instance, cannot be moved across filesystems).

Going Through the Trash

To look at what's in the trashcan, use the --list or --view command (style [2] above). trash will list the contents of the current trashcan directory, including any hidden files (files whose names begin with `.').

Emptying the Trash

To empty the trash, use the --empty command (style [3] above). trash will remove (i.e., really delete) all the files in the current trashcan directory, including any hidden files. If verbose mode is on (see ENVIRONMENT below), trash will echo the name of each file as it is deleted.

Getting Help

To get quick help about trash, use the --help command (style [4] above). trash will display a short list of syntax options.

ENVIRONMENT

trash recognizes the following environment variables:

TRASH_DIR: The directory to use as a trashcan. Defaults to `~/.trash'. Other values might be `/tmp/trash/$USER' or `~/garbage'. It is an error if TRASH_DIR is set to be either the current directory (.) or the root directory (/).
TRASH_VERBOSE: Use verbose mode if set to `on', `yes', or `true'. Do not use verbose mode if set to `off', `no', or `false'. In verbose mode, trash prints the names of files as they are either trashed or emptied from the trash. Defaults to `on'. Any value besides those listed here is an error.

EXAMPLES

trash ./junk/*: moves all files in the current directory to the trashcan.
trash ./junk: moves the directory ./junk, and its contents, to the trashcan directory, if the user has write permission, and if the directories are on the same filesystem.
trash --view: lists the contents of the trash directory.
trash --empty: removes (i.e., really deletes) all files (and directories) in the trashcan directory. For instance, if we've just trashed ./junk, which contains two files, yuck1 and yuck2, then `trash --empty' in verbose mode might give us a listing of

: emptying trashcan `/home/jmk/.trash' ...
/home/jmk/.trash/junk
/home/jmk/.trash/junk/yuck2
/home/jmk/.trash/junk/yuck1

COMMENTS

It is recommended to alias trash to the command normally used for deleting files, and to realias that command to a different (and harder to type) one, e.g. (using bash):

: alias rm="trash"
: alias remove="/bin/rm"

Used this way, trash allows the user to easily un-delete a file that might have been inadvertently deleted (for example, when mistyping `rm *~' as `rm *'.

BUGS

Does not work well for directories or symbolic links on a different filesystem from the trashcan directory.

Does not provide a facility to prompt the user when emptying the trash (coming soon?).

Cannot trash files recursively (like `rm -r').

AUTHOR

trash is written and maintained by Jim Knoble <jmknoble@mercury.interpath.net>. trash is copyright 1995 by Jim Knoble; you may freely distribute and modify it, but the original code must bear my name. Any modifications that you introduce must bear your name and must not bear mine.

Index

NAME

SYNOPSIS

DESCRIPTION

Trashing Files
Going Through the Trash
Emptying the Trash
Getting Help

This document was created by man2html, using the manual pages.
Time: 15:54:18 GMT, November 05, 2024