Cannot delete file, because it doesn't exist -- even if I say "rm *" -- and chmod works

GreenTriangle

3/4/23, 9:08 AM

I have a file, cover.jpg, which I want to delete.

If I run rm cover.jpg, I get the error "rm: cannot remove 'cover.jpg': No such file or directory."

If I run rm *.jpg, I get the same error.

If I type rm c and tab-complete, I get the same error.

If I run ls -1b, the file's name appears as cover.jpg, entirely normally.

If I run chmod 555 cover.jpg, it works fine.

find -name cover.jpg finds the file, but find -name cover.jpg -exec rm {} \; gives the same error.

I have full permissions on the directory it is in, and can happily delete all the other files in it, or create new ones.

rm -f fails to delete the file.

I cannot use lsattr or chattr on it.

What else can I try? I've reached the third page of Google without finding anything that helped.

0 + 0

filesystem

files

vanadium

3/4/23, 9:48 AM

1) Include some diagnostic output such as `ls -l`, `lsattr <file>`, `file <file>` in your question, otherwise there is nothing anyone could check. 2) include copied terminal output of both your command and its output.

sancho.s ReinstateMonicaCellio

3/4/23, 10:51 AM

Avoid "narrating" what you get. Simply copy-paste commands entered and output.

sudodus

3/4/23, 11:03 AM

How was the file created? Did you create it or was it created automatically by some tool, that you know, or was it 'suddenly' there? What file system is it? Have you checked that the file system is healthy? Can you watch the file as a picture with some tool, for example `eog`? Could the file be opened by some program?

Score:1

Ubuntu

sancho.s ReinstateMonicaCellio

3/4/23, 10:58 AM

Take advantage of the commands with "positive" results to understand the case. There might be an extra special character (e.g., blank) in the file name. You could count characters to check this.

Post the output of

$ find . -maxdepth 1 -name cover.jpg
$ find . -maxdepth 1 -name "cover.jpg"
$ find . -maxdepth 1 -name cover.jpg | wc -c
$ find . -maxdepth 1 -name "cover.jpg" | wc -c
$ ls -1b | grep cover
$ ls -1b | grep cover | wc -c
$ ls -1b cover*
$ ls -al cover*

0 + 0

Elon Musk

I sit in a Tesla and translated this thread with Ai:

EN: Cannot delete file, because it doesn't exist -- even if I say "rm *" -- and chmod works

TH: ไม่สามารถลบไฟล์ได้เนื่องจากไม่มีอยู่ - แม้ว่าฉันจะพูดว่า "rm *" - และ chmod ก็ใช้งานได้

RO: Nu se poate șterge fișierul, deoarece nu există -- chiar dacă spun "rm *" -- și chmod funcționează

RU: Невозможно удалить файл, потому что он не существует — даже если я скажу «rm *» — и chmod работает

VI: Không thể xóa tệp vì nó không tồn tại -- ngay cả khi tôi nói "rm *" -- và chmod vẫn hoạt động

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