[Gllug] Is this funny

[Matt Amos]

On Wed, Jan 02, 2002 at 04:43:18PM -0000, Paul Brazier wrote:
> Is there any logical reason why linux doesn't have an "undelete" command
> built in?

yep. youre supposed to know what youre doing on the command line. the 
enter key means "yes, really. i am very very sure".

it's rather like being at the controls of a tank: youve got to be sure 
theres a left turn in the road here, or youll destroy someone's (possibly 
your own) /home ;)

an interesting possibility of log-structured filesystems is the complete 
undeletion of several days worth of data. but i cant remember if theres 
anything like that for linux. maybe journalled filesystems can implement 
it as all it requires is the "forgetting" of the last few seconds of 
meta-data...

> It would seem quite useful as typos and accidental deletions would seem
> quite common.

which is why (if i remember correctly) konq and nautilus can both use the 
windows recycle/mac trash concept. of course this doesnt help on the 
command line.

> Surely the actual data is usually lying around on the disk somewhere.
> Even is it has been overwritten it could at least have a go.

there is already a tool for this called "the coroner's toolkit" which i 
cant remember the URL for. it was designed to recover the filesystem of a 
dead computer for analysis after it had been cracked.

i once had to use it when some ungrateful person decided to delete 
everything on my hard drive...

cya,

matt


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