destroy(1) destroy(1)
NAME
destroy - physically delete files
SYNOPSIS
destroy [option ...] file ...
DESCRIPTION
destroy overwrites files with selectable characters and then deletes
the directory entry for each file. destroy can only be used to over-
write and delete regular files.
The rm command does not physically delete files from the disk; so it
is theoretically still possible to read data processed by rm by using
the block and raw device special files.
OPTIONS
No option specified:
The input files are overwritten with binary zeros and then
deleted. destroy does not overwrite and delete files with multi-
ple hard links (the link counter must be on 1).
If the file to be destroyed is a symbolic link, it is deleted
from the directory and the file it references is overwritten with
binary zeros.
-cX (character) The input files are overwritten with the character
you specify here, instead of with binary zeros.
-i (interactive mode) destroy asks you for confirmation before
deleting each file.
-l (linked files) destroy will also overwrite and delete files with
multiple hard links (link counter set to more than 1). The file
itself is destroyed and all links to it are removed.
-l not specified:
destroy does not overwrite and delete files with multiple links.
-s (silent mode) Error messages are suppressed.
file Name of the file you wish to destroy. destroy will only delete
regular files. You may name more than one file.
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ERROR MESSAGES
destroy: cannot overwrite filename (Permission denied)
As you do not have write permission for filename, destroy cannot
overwrite it.
destroy: cannot destroy directory dirname
You have tried to apply destroy to a directory dirname; destroy
can only be used to delete regular files.
destroy: file filename has n links -- not destroyed
There are n links (n > 1) to the input file filename; destroy
does not delete files with multiple links unless you use the -l
option.
destroy: cannot stat filename (No such file or directory)
The file filename does not exist.
LOCALE
The LCMESSAGES environment variable governs the language in which
message texts are displayed. If LCMESSAGES is undefined or is defined
as the null string, it defaults to the value of LANG. If LANG is like-
wise undefined or null, the system acts as if it were not internation-
alized. Answers to yes/no queries must be given in the language
appropriate to the current locale.
The LCALL environment variable governs the entire locale. LCALL
takes precedence over all the other environment variables which affect
internationalization.
EXAMPLES
The current directory contains a file named file. You first use ln to
make another link to this file:
$ ln file copy
$ ls -l
-rw------- 2 hugo project 14 Jan 16 15:04 file
-rw------- 2 hugo project 14 Jan 16 15:04 copy
$ cat file
Good morning!
$ cat copy
Good morning!
The file can now be accessed under both names, although it is physi-
cally present only once.
$ destroy file
destroy: file file has 2 links -- not destroyed
destroy does not overwrite and delete the file in this case, since it
has two links.
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$ destroy -l -cX file
destroy overwrites the file this time, since you have used the -l
option. The -cX option causes the file contents to be overwritten with
X. destroy then deletes the link named file.
$ ls -l
-rw------- 1 hugo project 14 Jan 16 15:04 copy
$ cat copy
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
SEE ALSO
ln(1), rm(1), wcheck(1), secure(1M).
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