Shell Script Learning

by glamourca on 2009-02-12 22:14:34

Your question appears to involve deleting all text files and empty directories in certain directories while skipping specific ones. However, there are several issues with the provided script that need clarification and correction before translating it into English.

Here’s an improved version of your request in English along with corrections:

---

### Problem Statement in English:

How can I delete all `.txt` files and empty directories under specific directories while skipping certain directories?

For example:

```bash

DIR="/root /tmp /root/Desktop/mydocument"

```

The goal is:

1. Delete all `.txt` files in the specified directories.

2. Remove any empty directories in those paths.

3. Skip specific directories during the process (e.g., `/root/Desktop/mydocument`).

---

### Corrected Script in English:

Below is a corrected and functional Bash script for the described task:

```bash

# Define the directories to process

DIRS="/root /tmp"

# Define the directories to skip

SKIP_DIRS="/root/Desktop/mydocument"

# Loop through each directory in DIRS

for DIR in $DIRS; do

# Check if the directory exists and is not one of the skipped directories

if [[ -d "$DIR" && ! "$SKIP_DIRS" =~ "$DIR" ]]; then

# Delete all .txt files in the directory and its subdirectories

find "$DIR" -type f -name "*.txt" -exec rm -f {} +

# Remove all empty directories in the directory and its subdirectories

find "$DIR" -type d -empty -delete

fi

done

```

---

### Explanation of the Script:

1. **Define Directories (`DIRS`)**:

- The `DIRS` variable contains the list of directories where the cleanup will occur.

2. **Define Skipped Directories (`SKIP_DIRS`)**:

- The `SKIP_DIRS` variable specifies which directories should be excluded from the operation.

3. **Check Directory Existence**:

- The script ensures that the directory exists using `-d` and skips it if it matches any entry in `SKIP_DIRS`.

4. **Delete `.txt` Files**:

- The `find` command locates all `.txt` files under the specified directory and deletes them using `rm -f`.

5. **Remove Empty Directories**:

- The second `find` command identifies and removes all empty directories using `-empty` and `-delete`.

---

### Notes:

- Ensure you have proper permissions to delete files and directories in the specified paths.

- Test the script on a non-critical environment before running it in production.

- If additional conditions or exclusions are needed, they can be incorporated into the script.

Let me know if further clarification is required!