SKULKER(8,C)                AIX Commands Reference                 SKULKER(8,C)



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skulker



PURPOSE

Cleans up file systems by removing unwanted files.

SYNTAX


/etc/skulker ---|


DESCRIPTION

Warning: Because this command file runs with superuser authority and its whole
purpose is to remove files, it has the potential for unexpected results.
Before installing a new skulker, test any additions to its file removal
criteria by running it manually using the xargs -p command.  After you have
verified that the new skulker removes only the files you want removed, you can
install it.

The skulker command is a shell command file for periodically purging obsolete
or unneeded files from file systems.  Candidate files include those in /tmp,
.bak files older than a specified age, and files named a.out, core, or ed.hup.

The skulker command is normally invoked daily, often as part of an accounting
procedure run by cron during off-peak periods.  Individual sites should modify
skulker to suit local needs following the patterns shown in the distributed
version.  Local users should be made aware of the criteria for automatic file
removal.

The find and xargs commands form a powerful combination for use in skulker.
Most file selection criteria can be expressed conveniently with find
expressions.  The resulting file list, generated with the -print flag of the
find command, can then be segmented and inserted into rm commands using xargs
to reduce the overhead that would result if each file were deleted with a
separate command.

RELATED INFORMATION

See the following commands:  "cron,"  "find,"  "rm, delete," and "xargs."











Processed November 8, 1990       SKULKER(8,C)                                 1