how to delete files on redhat

**sepi** · 09-13-2005, 05:51 PM

Hi,

I cannot boot RedHat 9 (which is the only OS installed on my harddisc). I inserted a Knoppix CD and mounted that hard drive. The command df tells me that the disc is 100% used (no free space at all)! I guess this is the reason that RedHat cannot boot. using the menue that comes up after rightclick on the hard drive icon, I gave permission for writing onto that drive. However, I cannot DELETE any data that are on that drive, because Knoppix prompts that I have no permission for that. I cannot swich to any of the users or the root of the RedHat system (i.e. those users that own the files that I want to delete). Of course Knoppix doesn't know those users.
What can I do? HOW CAN I DELETE DATA ON LINUX USING KNOPPIX?

**tdjokic** · 09-13-2005, 09:03 PM

Right click on hd icon, change read/write permission.

**sepi** · 09-14-2005, 09:47 AM

As I said, this is what I already did! I can write to the disc, but I cannot delete anything!

**rwcitek** · 09-14-2005, 02:53 PM

Originally Posted by sepi

What can I do? HOW CAN I DELETE DATA ON LINUX USING KNOPPIX?

First, don't panic. There's really no need to shout. Second, what version of Knoppix are you using? Third, how familiar are you with Linux? That is, are you comfortable working at the command line?

If you are comfortable at the CLI, then I would boot with boot: knoppix 3. Then type the following:

Code:

mount /mnt/hda1
rm /mnt/hda1/$path/$filename
reboot

Let us know if that works for you.

Regards,
- Robert
http://www.cwelug.org

**sepi** · 09-15-2005, 11:37 AM

Thanks for trying to help.

I already solved the problem in a different way: I booted in the single-user mode (as described on RedHat's webpage) and deleted a few bigger files. After that, RedHat could boot again as usual.

I'm working at the command line quite a bit and using shell scripts (for analyzing research data). But I'm not very experienced.

Probably the reason why the 'rm' command didn't work ('permission denied') was that the big data were saved in home/username. If they were in /usr/local, I would have been able to remove them.

Anyways, thanks