kernel level trash bin
This
article discusses adding the `trashcan' functionality we see on
most desktops, but at a kernel level.
The patch works like this: whenever the last link is
removed from a file, the undeletable and secure deletion flags are
checked. Should either one be set, the file will be moved over to
the .trash/<uid>/ directory in the root of the filesystem.
Each per-uid directory has restrictive permissions, keeping users
from perusing each others' deleted files. There are no
subdirectories, so the path information is lost; preserving paths
might be added in a future version. A number is appended to the
file name when collisions with files already in the trash
happen.
Seems like a good idea. I have rm aliased to
rm -i but
have conditioned my self now to expect the confirmation question
and not pay attention to it as much as I should. I regularly do
backups with rsync and feel a bit safer knowing that I could at
most lose an hour or so of work.
What might be better would be for the kernel to recognize a major
and disastrous delete command. The infamous
`rm -rf /'
comes to mind, and would be easy enough to detect I imagine, so
would wiping out /usr or /bin, but where would you stop interfering
with the superusers judgement?
zsh is nice to ask if I am sure when I
do something like
rm -rf ~/tmp/foo/*. I am sure this a
shell option I can turn off but still, it's quite often I use the
`*' wildcard to delete files without first checking to see what the
`*' actually expands to, so I let zsh give me pause for thought in
those cases.
My desktop,
Xfce4, also has a trash can
similar to the windows recycle bin. (what exactly is being
recycled? your not putting glass and plastic in there and ftp'ing
it off to MS.) I only delete files via a GUI when they contain lots
of invalid characters that I am too lazy to learn how to escape in
zsh.