No delete? Ohno!

[dr_tectonic]

I have a new computer at work, and I'm slowly installing all the various things I want on it. (I've been given a KVM switch also, which is super-fantastic, because it means I can keep working on my old machine while I'm configuring the new one.)

One of the packages I like am dependent on is the athena 'delete' package, which gives you a reversible version of 'rm'.

It doesn't want to compile on the new machine; it complains that extern char* malloc in one of the header files has a conflicting return type.

Help me, Intarwebs! You're my only hope! What should I do?

• Try to fix/port the C code? (I'm guessing it's a 64-bit vs 32-bit kind of thing, likely to go rapidly out of my depth.)
  
• Surf the web for a good replacement? (No luck so far...)
  
• Write some perl/shell scripts with the same behavior?
  
• Something else entirely?

EDIT: I had assumed there wouldn't be any RPMs for it (I think the last time I looked there weren't any), but at trapezebear's suggestion, I looked and google found some! Everything is now happy. Thanks, Pete!

Comments

[toosuto.livejournal.com]

Sweep the leg Johnny!



I've got nothing, I'm just feeling chatty and crazy this evening.

frist psot

[boat-of-car.livejournal.com]

I *think* I understand why you want this feature, and it sounds like a good idea. I'm going to assume you are already using a cvs for your code...I've also heard of people who do that with their documents and even images as well...I'd also say fixing the code and re-contributing it back to the tree is the right thing to do, but not all of us have time for that sort of thing.

- Just be perfect and never make mistakes? ( you don't strike me as the crossword-puzzle-ink type, but it might work)

- DONT USE RM. ever. I never rm unless the files Im getting rid of are files I know I never ever want to use ( currupt downloads and so on) or I have a (right now in my lap) verifiable back up ( the lecture ends here)

- Maybe use ren and ln -s to manage what 'directories' the files are in, and use a rotating rsync file backup ( I have the *nix shell script for this at home- I'll send it if you want). cron a daily rotation so that the absolute worst that could happen would be a losing single day's changes. (you didn't say how much disk space you have...)

Re: frist psot

[dr-tectonic.livejournal.com]

The delete package is sort of functionally equivalent to having an Apple-style trash that you only empty manually. So I've gotten used to using that for normal throwing things away, and only using rm when I really, really mean it.

I can probably replicate the delete package with scripts pretty easily. I just have to figure out whether that's actually the path of least effort...

[navrins]

But rm is like diamonds!

Sorry, nothing useful. I just use rm. Or I don't.

[quirkstreet.livejournal.com]

What OS?

Have you tried plugging in [name of OS] [name of package] [text of error, in double quotes to keep it together if need be] into Google, to see if there is hackerish discussion of this error and possible fixed?

Could it be related to [version of compiler you're running] [ditto linker] [ditto any ancillary libraries], and not the package itself?

Can you find a precompiled binary for [this package:on your OS] anywhere?

[dr-tectonic.livejournal.com]

It's totally ancient and obscure, so there are no discussions of the error, it doesn't really even depend on libraries, etc.

I hadn't thought to look for RPMs because it's so old (the freshmeat page you get it from was last updated in 2001), but I did find some RedHat rpms on MIT's website. That seems a promising direction. Thanks!

[dr-tectonic.livejournal.com]

RPMs found & installed! Thanks for the suggestion!

[quirkstreet.livejournal.com]

YAY! I love that you have a nice package!