[SOLVED] Clear history in bash

[ADFC]

Hello!

When I'm in a terminal I can type history -c, and all the typed commands for a given user will be cleared.

Is it possible to do the same, using a bash script?

My code is:

#!/bin/bash
su -c "history -c"

But this doesn't seem to work.
When I execute the script, it does ask me form my root pass, but then nothing happens, since I can still access my old typed commands.

Ideas?
Thank you

PS: As you can see, I'm a Linux begginer.

[Lakshmipathi]

If you logged in as "root" , you can omit "su -c" just try using plain
history -c (instead of "history -c" - I don't think you need to have double quotes .)

Little more info. history command takes input from file called ".bash_history"
it will be available on users home directory.

cat ~/.bash_history

You can edit this file too like

cat /dev/null > ~/.bash_history

will clear the data.

you can also set the history size in ~/.bashrc by placing the following lines

export HISTFILESIZE=0

[ADFC]

Hello Lakshmipathi.G

Thanks for the answer.

I'll try your suggestions (at this exact moment I'm on a WYNDOUZ machine).

Thank you
ADFC

[oz]

Ditto what Lak said... either of the following commands work for me as root, or user:

history -c

>~/.bash_history

Post back with any errors, should you get any.

[ADFC]

Hello!

I'm using openSUSE 11.1 and Gnome (running gnome-terminal).

In the bash script, simply putting history -c doesn't work!
It does not return any error, but when the script finishes, I can still access my typed commands using the keyboard cursor (upper key).


If I try to execute ~/.bash_history in the terminal it returns:
bash: /home/user/.bash_history: Permission denied


If I try to execute >~/.bash_history in the terminal it does not return any error, but it doesn't do anything.
I can still access my typed commands using the keyboard cursor (upper key).


If I try to execute cat /dev/null > ~/.bash_history in the terminal it does not return any error, but it doesn't do anything.
I can still access my typed commands using the keyboard cursor (upper key).


I ran all of those commands as normal user (which is what I need ) in the gnome-terminal and not in bash mode for the moment.

Any more suggestions?
Thank you.

[oz]

Try the history -c command again, then log out and right back in, and then see if your files changed.

[ADFC]

Try the history -c command again, then log out and right back in, and then see if your files changed.

No, it doesn't work in the bash script (after log-out and log-in).

It only works in terminal (manually typing the command and pressing enter).

I'm confused.

Ideas?

Hum... I tried in a different PC (with a Debian based distro) and I have the exact same problem!
Have you tried making the bash shell script yourself?
I'm probably doing something wrong, but what??

Thank you

[oz]

Not sure what might be wrong, then. I always run history -c from the console and whenever I log into X the history file has been emptied and started again fresh, except for the startx command just issued to enter into graphics mode.

[ADFC]

Not sure what might be wrong, then. I always run history -c from the console and whenever I log into X the history file has been emptied and started again fresh, except for the startx command just issued to enter into graphics mode.

Yes, but have you tried making the script with:

#!/bin/bash
history -c

and then running it?

Thank you

[oz]

Ah, I'm with you now. No, I've not tried it in a script because I don't use the command that often and haven't needed a script. I thought you meant the command itself wasn't working. Sorry for any confusion.