How to remove multiple folders with rm command? (Solved)

[amethyst]

I'm looking at this piece of code for extracting a package:

Code: Select all

extract_pkg() {
	PKG=$1
	cd /
	for x in `cat $D/$PKG`; do [ -d $x ] && MYPATH="$x" || cp --parents -a "${MYPATH}/$x" $WrkDir; done
			 
}

Instead I want to remove the package so I changed that last line to:

Code: Select all

for x in `cat $D/$PKG`; do [ -d $x ] && MYPATH="$x" || rm -r "${MYPATH}/$x"; done

This deletes the files in the top folders and subfolders but now I sit with empty top folders and subfolders that also need to be removed (those applicable to the specific package of course). So how do I do it, adding the -d option does not work.

[Trapster]

rmdir ?

[amethyst]

rmdir ?

How would I add it to that line so that it is done after the rm command (obviously targeting the correct empty directories)?

[Trapster]

I'd be more curious on why rm -r is not removing the directories

[Flash]

Doesn't the rmdir command remove a directory and its contents?

[Trapster]

Doesn't the rmdir command remove a directory and its contents?

No, only empty directories.
rm -r should remove directories and contents recursively
rm -rf would force the removal but one needs to be careful with that.

[amethyst]

I'd be more curious on why rm -r is not removing the directories

I think I know what went wrong. Instead of targeting the top folders, the script targeted the full file paths. So the actual files were targeted and not the parent folders and its contents.

[amethyst]

This is what happens when you forget about things you have done prior already. The application I was working on has already been published by me a long time ago. I see with that one that the code was slightly different but I did use rm followed by rmdir. Anyways, here is the application for those interested: viewtopic.php?p=90901#p90901