GNOME hangs

[James Wilkinson]

OK, it's an old thread. But I'd just like to highlight for the
archives...

Tony Nelson wrote:
> They may also have actually said to do something slightly different:
> 
>     rm -rf $HOME/.*
> 
> That would get all the .configuration files, even for other applications.
> I'd have suggested trying a new user first, and it that worked, mv'd the
> dot files out of the way.

Wouldn't necessarily have helped (it would depend on which user issued
the command).

$HOME/.* will be matched by $HOME/..
So if $HOME is /home/user
rm -rf $HOME/.*
will expand to 
rm -rf /home/user/. /home/user/.. 
(and all the other files in /home/user) which is equivalent to
rm -rf /home

Similarly, if root tried running that, everything on the machine would
potentially be deleted.

James.

-- 
New address: james  | Remember, half-measures can be very effective if all you
@aprilcottage.co.uk | deal with are half-wits.