Linux is not free like in "freeware" but in "free to fuck yourself if you want"
this post was submitted on 20 Apr 2025
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It's both. Free as in free beer (gratis) and free as in freedom (libre).
Obligatory reminder to remove the French language pack:
sudo rm -fr /*
I mean... You're not wrong. If there's a French language pack on the system, it will remove it.
Tap for spoiler
Along with everything else.
I add a -v because I like to watch.
alias trash-put from trash-cli in both sudo and user.
myrm() {
trash-put "$@"
}
alias rm="myrm"
This has saved my ass so many times. Especially when typing "rm * .png" instead of "rm *.png"
Can restore the files using the cli or from system recycling bin.
The alias to rm is probably not best. So getting use to using another name is probably best. But I'm never had a problem with it.
That feeling where rm is taking a while to return to the prompt
Or just use snapshots. If you are into aliases make an alias for rm to make a snapshot before deleting something.
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make sure to add --no-preserved-root to make sure to update all the English libraries too so you can make sure only freedom fries are respected.
Not necessary with /*
Only needed if you do rm -rf /
help
Did you actually run it?
In this case, I hope you had a backup. Boot a live system to see if there's anything left. Back that up, then reinstall.
accidentally deleted every dependency VLC requires instead of deleting VLC. Absolutely recked EVERYTHING on my PC.
I deserve it for trying to remove the best video player π
Remove and reinstall VLC should install all the dependencies, yeah?
I think you mean:
sudo I want to delete everything to corrupt my system
sudo dd if=/dev/urandom of=$(df | grep '\s/$' | cut -d' ' -f1)
(Omit the $ if you are using the fish terminal)
One good use for AI was a great breakdown of what exactly that command does. I like it.
"Write random shit to root."
There is a reason they call dd the disk-destroyer.
I just uninstalled edge on my laptop (still windows for work/study compatability)
EU laws!
I once tried to delete something I was not supposed to and the system was quite adamant on advising against it. The system was to be reinstalled so I was just trying things.
It's been a while but I recall the system giving me a first warning that my command woud delete X, Y and Z, which could render the system inoperable.
Then it questioned me if I was sure I wanted to proceed with the operation.
The final warning was a sum of the potential damage I would do to the system and that it would be irreversible, without a full system install.
So, three strikes.
I remember when windows would let you delete system32 but not Internet Explorer.
sudo apt remove grubSingle use linux.
E: Removing essential system-critical packages is not permitted. This might break the system.
You can still do it if you really want, but even Linux rightly has some protections against breaking your system.
I do want to clarify: it's not Linux itself, but specific distributions (or rather their package managers). As far as I know, Arch's pacman would do nothing to stop me π₯°
True, Linux applications (e.g. apt, dnf, pip, but also rm, sudo, and many more) would be more precise.
For Arch, it's probably not so easy to define "essential" packages, as it, for example, supports many different bootloaders. It is of course also a question of distro philosophy and target audience. Personally, I've noticed that "rm -r" as root prompts for every file on RHEL but does not on Arch...
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I might be wrong, but I think that actually wouldn't do anything, because grub is installed by the tooling from the package, not the package itself?
Try it and report back
I'm tempted, though I use rEFInd not grub, but fixing any damage should be easy with a live image handy...
You're very brave! I meant on like a virtual machine
As a user, I hate when an OS gets in my way. Or insists that there is one right way to do something.
As the tech support guy in my family, I'm grateful that windows denies permission, has big guard rails, and forces you to do updates.
Bruh. For how many years did Windows make every luddite, child, and grandparent default Administrator with full, unprompted access to install viruses, run scripts, and delete system files?
Isn't that still the case with Linux now?
Just add sudo to your commands
Nah. Fuck forced updates. Only time I'm forced to use windows is for work.
I have to play the "low battery" game when it starts notifying me during work. Unplugging and repowering the laptop right below 10% so it won't restart and disconnect my VM and SSH sessions I'm using for work.
I don't care what anyone says. Updates that can't have a forever "give me 1 more hour" indefinitely are just going to destroy work.
Suddenly restarting in the middle of someone working is just awful design. I don't care how many "warnings" there are.
I'm connected to a remote session and doing work. If you restart my computer I could lose my work. The OS is not some self contained thing you can always save the state in.
I suppose immutable systems are ment to stop the end user from bugging out the system but even regular Linux distrios need to assume that there users are incompetent cus I am.
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Narrator: "Turned out Windows never needed Edge to work"
Android: screenshot dir? Use DIRECTORY_PICTURES env variable. Changing either? Lol, eat dirt pleb.
yes, do as I say!
I did this once by accident, I deleted every file that had KDE as a dependency recursively. As well as every file that KDE listed as a dependency, recursively.
Lesson learnt
You can't kill windows with windows but you can kill Linux with Linux. Remember that.
Yes, do as I say!
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