Bash Script for a Cron Job > Deleting files in a directory.

[climbjm]

Warning, I am still a Newbie

My web server is running Linux (don't know what flavor) and I have set up a Cron job to delete all files in my "files" directory.

This is what I have right now:

rm /home/user/upload/files/*.*

However if there are no files, I keep getting "No files found in "files/" directory.
So I am looking for a bash command that does this:

(pseudo code)

if(FilesExist)
{
  if(Files != ".htaccess")
  {
    rm /home/user/upload/files/*.* EXCEPT .htaccess
  }
}

Simple enough right?
This is where it gets tricky.

My web server (long story) only allows me to do this on ONE LINE and I cannot have multiple lines.

Does anyone know how to do this?

Second Thought...
Is there a way that I could create a Bash script that would run the above code and I could just run the script in my Cron job instead?

I am very new at writing bash scripts and dont really know how to write them, so as much help you can provide, the better.

Thank you in advance!!!

[Franklin52]

Hi,

The rm comand don't removes files if their names are started with a dot.
To suppress the error messages you can redirect them to /dev/null.

rm /home/user/upload/files/* 2>/dev/null

Here you can read how to run a command as a cron job:

crontab - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Because the PATH variable is not always set in cronjobs you must use the absolute path:

/bin/rm /home/user/upload/files/* 2>/dev/null

Regards

[Sangal-Arun]

Hint: user -not option with find command and -maxdepth 1 option too...for deleting files at the current dir level only. if you use -not option, then give -name "*<thefilename>*" or the correct pattern of the file that you don't wana delete...consists of.

[Sangal-Arun]

Using this also, .* hidden file will not get removed...but if you don't use -not option and use -o with -name for including ".*" files also then may be by using xargs ..we can remove the files...Franklin...what say?

Hint: user -not option with find command and -maxdepth 1 option too...for deleting files at the current dir level only. if you use -not option, then give -name "*<thefilename>*" or the correct pattern of the file that you don't wana delete...consists of.

[climbjm]

Does it look sound to you or do you see any potential problems?
I will most likely take into consideration what you have also noted.

(i have the cron job execute this like every 15 minutes) [lots of traffic].

#!/bin/sh

DIR="/home/username/public_html/upload/files/"
LIST=`ls -l $DIR | grep -v "total 0"`
FILES=`ls $DIR`

cd $DIR

if [ -z "$LIST" ]
then
  exit
else
  echo "Files Delete:"
  echo $FILES
  rm -f *
fi

[climbjm]

The said method above does not address the .htaccess issue.

[Franklin52]

To remove dot files you can do something like this:

rm .[a-zA-Z0-9]*

Regards

[climbjm]

To remove dot files you can do something like this:

rm .[a-zA-Z0-9]*

Regards

What about files with Underscores and Hyphens?
I'm thinking something like...

rm .[\._a-zA-Z0-9\-]*

[Franklin52]

What about files with Underscores and Hyphens?
I'm thinking something like...

rm .[\._a-zA-Z0-9\-]*

Try this:

rm *[_-]*

Regards

[scm]

rm -f .??* is much easier!