Don't run this command unless you want to delete all the files on your system and break Linux on your system.
this post was submitted on 10 Aug 2023
1554 points (94.3% liked)
Programmer Humor
19817 readers
196 users here now
Welcome to Programmer Humor!
This is a place where you can post jokes, memes, humor, etc. related to programming!
For sharing awful code theres also Programming Horror.
Rules
- Keep content in english
- No advertisements
- Posts must be related to programming or programmer topics
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
is linux that dependant on French? wow
Oui
Did you know? Linus Torvolds is actually the consort child of two french people! That's why you have to use the french flag when removing folders, it's an ode to his upbringing
load more comments
(1 replies)
load more comments
(4 replies)
So what you’re saying is, it is true that I will no longer have French installed.
A risk worth taking
load more comments
(2 replies)
I get these are jokes but I really don't find anything funny about it, it becomes a meme and then people start getting more creative and pushing it more and being more covert and people come up with other little japes then new Linux users get their shit destroyed and maybe important info gets lost or precious memories so they say Linux is a piece of shit and go back to windows.
It's not even funny to start with so when it inevitably inspires people to be assholes and bullies that's all we've achieved.
It's the new "delete system32 to get better performance"
Lol rm -rf as a joke isn't new anyway
load more comments
(1 replies)
I totally agree. We should be more open and welcoming to new users. Imagine some new people on the steam deck being curious and diving into Linux and running into this. Undoubtedly, we'd lose at least a few users that brick their machines.
I get that this humor fits and entertains the technically inclined of us, but if we truly want more widespread use of Linux, shouldn't we open our arms to less technical users as well? Besides, even for the more technical of us, this joke is so old and run down 🙃
Eh, this is a classic joke by now. There's those jokes on the Windows side too (like the 'delete system32' one).
Except that you cannot actually delete System32 on Windows like you can delete your whole drive on Linux.
You can't do this on Linux anymore either. Unless you are on a way out of date system, you need to add the --no-preserce-root flag as well. And I think it still prompts you to make sure it is really want you want to do.
WARNING: The following essential packages will be removed. This should NOT be done unless you know exactly what you are doing!
You are about to do something potentially harmful. To continue type in the phrase 'Yes, do as I say!'
User: gleefully types in the phrase
load more comments
(2 replies)
load more comments
(1 replies)
load more comments
(2 replies)
Yes, but also I would hope that if you have the autonomy to install linux you also have the autonomy to look up an unknown command before running it with superuser privileges.
That's making an assumption that a brand new Linux user knows they are running the command with superuser privileges.
Half the time you websearch a problem you are having in Linux you will find someone telling you to fix it by running a command that starts with sudo without explaining what any part of the command does. New people probably regularly run those commands without finding out what it does and it probably works (or at least does no harm) a good portion of the time because most people aren't dicks. So then you've got new people trusting that form of advice.
It's hard to blame them, they are new to the system and very few experienced users are going out of their way to explain the basics to new users.
load more comments
(5 replies)
load more comments
(16 replies)
Careful, you have to also add --no-preserve-root to make sure you get all of it out. If you leave the roots, it'll just grow back later!
(But seriously, don't actually do this unless you're prepared to lose data and potentially even brick your computer. Don't even try it on a VM or a computer you're planning to wipe anyway, because if something is mounted that you don't expect, you'll wipe that too. On older Linux kernels, EFI variables were mounted as writable, so running rm -rf / could actually brick your computer. This shouldn't still be the case, but I wouldn't test it, myself.)
Fun fact, rm -rf /* does not need --no-preserve-root. It will happily start as technically, according to the preserve root check, /* is not root as the target is not /
It's slightly different. Your shell will see the /* and replace it with all the directories under /, e.g. /bin /dev /etc /home etc. So the actual command that runs is rm -rf /bin /dev /etc /home etc.
Careful, you have to also add --no-preserve-root to make sure you get all of it out. If you leave the roots, it’ll just grow back later!
Oh my god I effin guffawed, thanks for that
load more comments
(1 replies)
- Don't run any command you don't understand
That's why you run this one though because you don't understand French. After you run this you'll understand every command afterwards.
load more comments
(1 replies)
load more comments
(2 replies)
Is sudo even necessary? I bet the command would execute without any resistance.
Boooo 🏳️
load more comments
(1 replies)
Pro tip:
Run :(){ :|:& };: to activate the developer mode on Linux.
I have no idea what this does, I will not try it to find out
load more comments
(2 replies)
load more comments
(1 replies)
But I'm French?
I'd still run the command anyway if I were you. Clearly you speak English, so you can afford to remove some bloat /s
load more comments
(2 replies)
rm -rf * stands for read mail really fast, and the * addresses all mails.
Remember to cd / before you use the command to address all of the emails
load more comments
(1 replies)
Damit, lolled at a restaurant like a maniac.
Remember the old days in AOL Chat when we'd randomly tell people to hit Alt-F4?
load more comments
(2 replies)
I am saving this thread. I am new to Linux and you guys have all sorts of helpful tips!
For security, disabling the root account is important, so be sure to add --no-preserve-root on the end!
The evil thing about this is that it will be at minimum hours, possibly days, before someone who did this can come back to complain.
load more comments
(1 replies)
Let's be involved in more such discussions so if OpenAI starts scrapping lemmy then future versions of ChatGPTs can fuck people over.
rm -fr -nocap -slay
view more: next ›