[ChadC]

In reinstalling Jaguar on my iBook i chose the Archive Option. Now I have sustems files on my computer that are just taking up space(space i desperatly need). But when i try to delete it says I can because I don't have root access. How do I get around this and delete them?

Thanx,
Chad

[juanpacolopez]

Originally posted by ChadC:
In reinstalling Jaguar on my iBook i chose the Archive Option. Now I have sustems files on my computer that are just taking up space(space i desperatly need). But when i try to delete it says I can because I don't have root access. How do I get around this and delete them?

Thanx,
Chad

If it's the "Previous Systems" folder... do this:

Open terminal, type the following:

sudo rm -rf /Prev*

It'll ask for your admin password, and go nuts.

However, make SURE before you do this that there isn't another folder/file that starts with "Prev". If there is change the command to:

sudo rm -rf '/Previous Systems'

That'll do it. Keep in mind that rm is NOT a trash command... your files WILL BE LOST FOREVER once you do this. Use at your own risk.

[Art Vandelay]

Or you can simply change the privileges of the folder using Get Info. Change the owner to yourself.

[juanpacolopez]

Originally posted by Art Vandelay:
Or you can simply change the privileges of the folder using Get Info. Change the owner to yourself.

HAH!

You and your simplicity can kiss my a**.

Seriously though, good pointing that out, I'd completely forgotten...

I'm probably pemanently entrenched in sysadmin "the commandline can solve anything" mode.

Good tip!

[Art Vandelay]

Originally posted by juanpacolopez:
HAH!

You and your simplicity can kiss my a**.

Seriously though, good pointing that out, I'd completely forgotten...

I'm probably pemanently entrenched in sysadmin "the commandline can solve anything" mode.

Good tip!

[ChadC]

Thanks guys!

I figured it was something in the Get Info panel, but I saw it wasn't locked and didn't think anything else of it. Well, learn something new everyday.

juanpacolopez:
it seems like you know a lot about UNIX and its commands. Do you have any pointers of where I can get started in learning the commands and how they can help me?

Thanx,
Chad

[juanpacolopez]

Originally posted by ChadC:
Thanks guys!

I figured it was something in the Get Info panel, but I saw it wasn't locked and didn't think anything else of it. Well, learn something new everyday.

juanpacolopez:
it seems like you know a lot about UNIX and its commands. Do you have any pointers of where I can get started in learning the commands and how they can help me?

Thanx,
Chad

This isn't specific to X, but:

http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO...ook/index.html

The FreeBSD handbook is an excellent place to learn the basics of BSD-like environments (of which OSX is a derivative).

Also, the UNIX forum right here on MacNN is full of incredibly helpful people (most of the time).

Oh yeah, if you're at all interested in learning the *nix-y side of X, you need fink (quickly):

http://fink.sourceforge.net/

Download the latest copy, install it (and install the, now included, FinkCommander). Use FinkCommander as a graphical (and extremely easy) way to install thousands of common free source (much of it commandline) software ported to X from Linux/FreeBSD/etc.

Finally, if you have questions about a specific command, type the following on the commandline:

man <your-command>

Where <your-command> is replaced by whatever command you want info on, i.e.:

man rm

Would give you the lowdown on the rm command I pointed out in my previous post.

Enjoy! One of the great things about X is that it lets you be geeky w/ your *nix when you want to be, but you don't HAVE to just to get things done