i just did a rm -rf /*r as root!!!

[Ed Wilts]

On Fri, Apr 22, 2005 at 08:59:11AM -0700, bruce wrote:
> ok...
> 
> i have the rescue cd. i can see the /usr/bin on the rescue cd, and i can
> copy it to the new '/usr/bin' on the system where i did the 'rm -rf...'.
> 
> my question, is once i do this, how/what do i need to do to get back the
> rest of the system... when i compare the '/usr/bin' on a FC3 resuce cd, with
> the FC3 '/usr/bin' dir, i see a great deal of difference in the number of
> files.

You've never answered the question as to whether or not you have
backups.  If you do, restore your old /usr/bin files.

Since you've got a valid rpm database, you'll need to do the rpm -Va to
verify what's there and what isn't.  Once you've identified which files
are missing (and there will be a bunch for 
 
> or should i just get the FC2 iso cds and do a reinstall. keep in mind that
> i've made a lot of chanegs, new rpms, updates, etc... and i'd rather not
> blow those away. 

As we've pointed out before, this is the real way to get your system
back to normal.  Everything else is a hack to get you close but you'll
never be assured it is fully back to where it was.  What you "rather not
blow away" and what you need to do to ensure the integrity of your
system are not the same.  You've said it's a critical system and you
apparently don't have restorable backups.  This might be a good time to
start over and do it right.

One thing that still confuses me is how you only deleted /usr/bin when
the command you gave us would have deleted a lot more than that.

-- 
Ed Wilts, RHCE
Mounds View, MN, USA
mailto:ewilts at ewilts.org
Member #1, Red Hat Community Ambassador Program