CentOS - Jan 2008 - How to delete files with specical characters in the name?

Hi,

I've got an odd situation here.  Somehow, I find myself with two files that 
start with the - character.
[eric at apollo mysql]$ ls -l
total 93348
-rw-r--r--  1 mysql mysql  9273344 Nov 13 19:03 -N=2007-11-08
-rw-r--r--  1 mysql mysql 38879232 Nov 13 19:02 --newer=2007-11-08


Don't ask how they were created; something went wrong with a script at some 
point.

My problem is that I am trying to delete them, but can't figure out how to 
delete these files.  Everything I try, I get the same msg:
[eric at apollo mysql]$ rm '-N=2007-11-08'
rm: invalid option -- N
Try `rm --help' for more information.


I have tried single quotes, double quotes, escaping it with a \ and still 
get the same error.

Any ideas / suggestions?

Thanks!

Eric

On Tue, 22 Jan 2008, Eric B. wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I've got an odd situation here.  Somehow, I find myself with two files
that
> start with the - character.
> [eric at apollo mysql]$ ls -l
> total 93348
> -rw-r--r--  1 mysql mysql  9273344 Nov 13 19:03 -N=2007-11-08
> -rw-r--r--  1 mysql mysql 38879232 Nov 13 19:02 --newer=2007-11-08
>
>
> Don't ask how they were created; something went wrong with a script at
some
> point.
>
> My problem is that I am trying to delete them, but can't figure out how
to
> delete these files.  Everything I try, I get the same msg:
> [eric at apollo mysql]$ rm '-N=2007-11-08'
> rm: invalid option -- N
> Try `rm --help' for more information.
>
>
> I have tried single quotes, double quotes, escaping it with a \ and still
> get the same error.
>
> Any ideas / suggestions?
rm ./-N=2007-11-08 ./--newer=2007-11-08

-- 
Benjamin Franz

  I don't think it's a good idea to follow the catalog's suggestion
to force
  the "Double Helix" on your biologist friends, or the
"Wavelength" on your
  physicist friends. They have access to virulent pathogens and liquid
  nitrogen, and I just know it will end in tears before bedtime.
                             - Verzoeking, LiveJournal Entry, 22 Nov 2005

On Tue, Jan 22, 2008 at 11:46:57AM -0500, Eric B. enlightened
us:
> I've got an odd situation here.  Somehow, I find myself with two files
that
> start with the - character.
> [eric at apollo mysql]$ ls -l
> total 93348
> -rw-r--r--  1 mysql mysql  9273344 Nov 13 19:03 -N=2007-11-08
> -rw-r--r--  1 mysql mysql 38879232 Nov 13 19:02 --newer=2007-11-08
> 
> 
> Don't ask how they were created; something went wrong with a script at
some
> point.
> 
> My problem is that I am trying to delete them, but can't figure out how
to
> delete these files.  Everything I try, I get the same msg:
> [eric at apollo mysql]$ rm '-N=2007-11-08'
> rm: invalid option -- N
> Try `rm --help' for more information.
> 
> 
> I have tried single quotes, double quotes, escaping it with a \ and still 
> get the same error.
> 
> Any ideas / suggestions?
> 
rm -- -N=2007-11-08

The -- tells (most?) programs to stop processing options. This is listed as
an example in the rm man page, so you should know that, right? I mean, you
*did* read the man page....

Matt

-- 
Matt Hyclak
Department of Mathematics 
Department of Social Work
Ohio University
(740) 593-1263

On Jan 22, 2008 11:46 AM, Eric B. <ebenze at hotmail.com>
wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I've got an odd situation here.  Somehow, I find myself with two files
that
> start with the - character.
> [eric at apollo mysql]$ ls -l
> total 93348
> -rw-r--r--  1 mysql mysql  9273344 Nov 13 19:03 -N=2007-11-08
> -rw-r--r--  1 mysql mysql 38879232 Nov 13 19:02 --newer=2007-11-08
>
>
> Don't ask how they were created; something went wrong with a script at
some
> point.
>
> My problem is that I am trying to delete them, but can't figure out how
to
> delete these files.  Everything I try, I get the same msg:
> [eric at apollo mysql]$ rm '-N=2007-11-08'
> rm: invalid option -- N
> Try `rm --help' for more information.
>
>
> I have tried single quotes, double quotes, escaping it with a \ and still
> get the same error.
>
> Any ideas / suggestions?
>
> Thanks!
> Eric

Try "rm -- filename"  That's two dashes, then a space.  That tells
'rm' not to process any more arguments and switches and treat them as
files.

On Jan 22, 2008 8:46 AM, Eric B. <ebenze at hotmail.com>
wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I've got an odd situation here.  Somehow, I find myself with two files
that
> start with the - character.
> [eric at apollo mysql]$ ls -l
> total 93348
> -rw-r--r--  1 mysql mysql  9273344 Nov 13 19:03 -N=2007-11-08
> -rw-r--r--  1 mysql mysql 38879232 Nov 13 19:02 --newer=2007-11-08
>
>
> Don't ask how they were created; something went wrong with a script at
some
> point.
>
> My problem is that I am trying to delete them, but can't figure out how
to
> delete these files.  Everything I try, I get the same msg:
> [eric at apollo mysql]$ rm '-N=2007-11-08'
> rm: invalid option -- N
> Try `rm --help' for more information.
>
>
> I have tried single quotes, double quotes, escaping it with a \ and still
> get the same error.
>
> Any ideas / suggestions?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Eric
>
The manpage is your friend:

To  remove  a  file  whose  name  starts  with a '-', for example
       '-foo', use one of these commands:

              rm -- -foo

              rm ./-foo

On 23/01/2008, at 3:46 AM, Eric B. wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I've got an odd situation here.  Somehow, I find myself with two  
> files that
> start with the - character.
> [eric at apollo mysql]$ ls -l
> total 93348
> -rw-r--r--  1 mysql mysql  9273344 Nov 13 19:03 -N=2007-11-08
> -rw-r--r--  1 mysql mysql 38879232 Nov 13 19:02 --newer=2007-11-08
>
>
> Don't ask how they were created; something went wrong with a script  
> at some
> point.
>
> My problem is that I am trying to delete them, but can't figure out  
> how to
> delete these files.  Everything I try, I get the same msg:
> [eric at apollo mysql]$ rm '-N=2007-11-08'
> rm: invalid option -- N
> Try `rm --help' for more information.
>
>
> I have tried single quotes, double quotes, escaping it with a \ and  
> still
> get the same error.

You can put -- after the rm command to tell it that everything after  
that is an arguement (I think).

ie:
$ echo > --help
$ ls -l -- *help*
-rw-rw-r-- 1 netwiz netwiz 1 Jan 23 03:51 --help
$ rm -f -- --help
$ ls -l -- *help*
ls: *help*: No such file or directory
$

--
Steven Haigh

Email: netwiz at crc.id.au
Web: http://www.crc.id.au
Phone: (03) 9001 6090 - 0412 935 897

Eric B. wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I've got an odd situation here.  Somehow, I find myself with two files
that
> start with the - character.
> [eric at apollo mysql]$ ls -l
> total 93348
> -rw-r--r--  1 mysql mysql  9273344 Nov 13 19:03 -N=2007-11-08
> -rw-r--r--  1 mysql mysql 38879232 Nov 13 19:02 --newer=2007-11-08
>
>
>   
rm -- --newer=2007-11-08
rm -- -N=2007-11-08
That is rm space dash dash space then the filename.

Garl