How to delete directories which are "not a directory"?

nbd · 2015-06-02 11:51:36

After backuping with 'rsync --archive --update' my home directory from ext4 to btrfs, rsync reports errors like this:

rsync: readdir("/mnt/backup/home/me/.mozilla/firefox/qbdcaxwe.default/sessions/????????? ??????"): Not a directory (20)                
rsync: rename "/mnt/backup/home/me/.mutt/cache/bodies/imaps:myemail@imap.gmail.com/INBOX/.3-13228.NMKGEN" ->                           
+"home/me/.mutt/cache/bodies/imaps:myemaill@imap.gmail.com/INBOX/3-13228": Not a directory (20)

When I try to delete these items with 'rm' - there is an error message, that this item is a directory. But 'rm -d' fails with a message "cannot remove ...: No such file or directory.". 'btrfs check' and 'btrfs scrub' haven't found any filesystem errors. How such filesystem items can be removed?

WorMzy · 2015-06-02 11:54:37

Since you are using btrfs, they are probably subvolumes.

Try 'btrfs subvol delete /path/to/subvolume'

nbd · 2015-06-02 12:08:27

WorMzy:

'btrfs subvol delete' returns "ERROR: <item> is not a subvolume"

Actually those items are remains of temporary cache items. One of them, for example, is a mutt cache link to an imaps Gmail folder.

karol · 2015-06-02 12:13:56

http://allanmcrae.com/2015/05/what-is-it/ ?
What's the output of 'file <that file>'?

nbd · 2015-06-02 12:29:19

karol:

'file' reports that the item is a directory.

P.S. In the linked post the item was reported as a symlink AFAIU.

P.P.S. My mistake, the 'directory' was reported for the item's parent directory. The item was reported by 'file' as:

SMTP mail, Non-ISO extended-ASCII text, with very long lines

Last edited by nbd (2015-06-02 13:38:21)

nbd · 2015-06-02 14:03:19

Here the output for 'file', 'rm' and 'rmdir' commands:

$ file /.../.mutt/cache/bodies/imaps:myemail@imap.gmail.com/INBOX/.3-13228.NMKGEN
/.../.mutt/cache/bodies/imaps:myemail@imap.gmail.com/INBOX/.3-13228.NMKGEN: SMTP mail, Non-ISO extended-ASCII text, with very long lines
$ rm /.../.mutt/cache/bodies/imaps:myemail@imap.gmail.com/INBOX/.3-13228.NMKGEN
rm: remove regular file ‘/.../.mutt/cache/bodies/imaps:myemail@imap.gmail.com/INBOX/.3-13228.NMKGEN’? y
rm: cannot remove ‘/.../.mutt/cache/bodies/imaps:myemail@imap.gmail.com/INBOX/.3-13228.NMKGEN’: Not a directory
$ rmdir /.../.mutt/cache/bodies/imaps:myemail@imap.gmail.com/INBOX/.3-13228.NMKGEN
rmdir: failed to remove ‘/.../.mutt/cache/bodies/imaps:myemail@imap.gmail.com/INBOX/.3-13228.NMKGEN’: Not a directory

x33a · 2015-06-03 10:04:59

Try removing it as root.

nbd · 2015-06-06 08:41:38

x33a:

[root@localhost sessions]# rm -d \?\?\?\?\?\?\?\?\?\ \?\?\?\?\?\?/
rm: cannot remove ‘????????? ??????/’: Directory not empty
[root@localhost sessions]# rm -dr \?\?\?\?\?\?\?\?\?\ \?\?\?\?\?\?/
rm: descend into directory ‘????????? ??????/’? y
rm: remove directory ‘????????? ??????/’? y
rm: cannot remove ‘????????? ??????/’: No such file or directory
[root@localhost sessions]# rm \?\?\?\?\?\?\?\?\?\ \?\?\?\?\?\?/
rm: cannot remove ‘????????? ??????/’: Is a directory
[root@localhost sessions]# file \?\?\?\?\?\?\?\?\?\ \?\?\?\?\?\?/
????????? ??????/: directory

Last edited by nbd (2015-06-06 09:46:14)

Lone_Wolf · 2015-06-06 13:45:30

nbd,

try using chmod to reset the directory flag on those files.

nbd · 2015-06-06 14:01:09

Lone_Wolf:

is directory flag a "sticky bit" or "restricted deletion" flag?

[root@localhost sessions]# chmod -t \?\?\?\?\?\?\?\?\?\ \?\?\?\?\?\?/
[root@localhost sessions]# rm \?\?\?\?\?\?\?\?\?\ \?\?\?\?\?\?/
rm: cannot remove ‘????????? ??????/’: Is a directory
[root@localhost sessions]# chmod +t \?\?\?\?\?\?\?\?\?\ \?\?\?\?\?\?/
[root@localhost sessions]# rm \?\?\?\?\?\?\?\?\?\ \?\?\?\?\?\?/
rm: cannot remove ‘????????? ??????/’: Is a directory
[root@localhost sessions]# chmod 1700 \?\?\?\?\?\?\?\?\?\ \?\?\?\?\?\?/
[root@localhost sessions]# rm \?\?\?\?\?\?\?\?\?\ \?\?\?\?\?\?/
rm: cannot remove ‘????????? ??????/’: Is a directory

Lone_Wolf · 2015-06-06 14:26:14

I think it's neither of those.

I haven't found a way to display permissions in octal format , but Midnight Commander does show them ( F9 , File , chmod ).

normal files show something like this : 100755 , while directories look like 40755 .
(hopefully someone more experienced will come along to explain)

It does seem worth a try to use chmod 100755 on one of the problem files .

nbd · 2015-06-06 16:38:30

Lone_Wolf,

chmod returns "Invalid mode" for 100755

Lone_Wolf · 2015-06-07 19:11:45

Ok, so changing directory bit is not supported by chmod.
In theory, editing filesystem data directly might work. Apart from the fact i don't know tools that allow to do that, it seems way to risky.

Have you tried moving the problem files (like to an usb drive that you can re-partition later) instead of deleting ?

nbd · 2015-06-07 23:11:18

Lone_Wolf:
apparently this problem can be solved one time, by moving, repartitioning, etc. But with everyday automatic backup of a system with running applications, which have temporary files and folders like that, it's probably not solution. Strangely that such cases with "strangely behaving filesystem objects" with widely used programs like mutt and session manager plugin for FireFox seems to be so rare, that there is no a quick standard solution.

Last edited by nbd (2015-06-07 23:12:09)

R00KIE · 2015-06-08 09:22:32

Have you tried to duplicate the problem with other filesystems like ext4? Given that you are using btrfs and it is still considered experimental, you might want to ask in their mailing list about this problem.

Arch Linux

#1 2015-06-02 11:51:36

How to delete directories which are "not a directory"?

#2 2015-06-02 11:54:37

Re: How to delete directories which are "not a directory"?

#3 2015-06-02 12:08:27

Re: How to delete directories which are "not a directory"?

#4 2015-06-02 12:13:56

Re: How to delete directories which are "not a directory"?

#5 2015-06-02 12:29:19

Re: How to delete directories which are "not a directory"?

#6 2015-06-02 14:03:19

Re: How to delete directories which are "not a directory"?

#7 2015-06-03 10:04:59

Re: How to delete directories which are "not a directory"?

#8 2015-06-06 08:41:38

Re: How to delete directories which are "not a directory"?

#9 2015-06-06 13:45:30

Re: How to delete directories which are "not a directory"?

#10 2015-06-06 14:01:09

Re: How to delete directories which are "not a directory"?

#11 2015-06-06 14:26:14

Re: How to delete directories which are "not a directory"?

#12 2015-06-06 16:38:30

Re: How to delete directories which are "not a directory"?

#13 2015-06-07 19:11:45

Re: How to delete directories which are "not a directory"?

#14 2015-06-07 23:11:18

Re: How to delete directories which are "not a directory"?

#15 2015-06-08 09:22:32

Re: How to delete directories which are "not a directory"?

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