| name | safe-file-removal |
| description | Use safe-rm command to safely 'remove' files by renaming them to .obsolete instead of permanent deletion. Reversible, collision-safe, hook-compliant. |
Safe File Removal
Rename files to .obsolete instead of permanent deletion via safe-rm command.
When to Use
- Removing temp files, build artifacts, old code, deprecated tests
- After refactoring (keep backup during testing)
- Any situation where
rm is blocked by pre-tool hooks
- Need reversible "deletion"
Why Not rm
Project setting: .claude/settings.json:132 → "RM_BASH_BLOCK": "true"
| Issue | Solution |
|---|
rm permanently deletes | safe-rm renames (reversible) |
| Blocked by pre-tool hooks | Works within safety constraints |
| No recovery | mv file.obsolete file restores |
Command
./.claude/bin/safe-rm [file1] [file2] [dir/]
Path: .claude/bin/safe-rm:1-72
Features
| Feature | Benefit |
|---|
| Reversible | mv file.obsolete file recovers |
| Multi-file | Handle multiple args in one command |
| Collision safe | Adds timestamp if .obsolete exists |
| Color output | Green ✓ / Yellow ⚠ / Red ✗ |
| Statistics | Reports renamed/failed count |
Basic Usage
| Operation | Command | Result |
|---|
| Single file | ./.claude/bin/safe-rm file.txt | file.txt.obsolete |
| Multiple | ./.claude/bin/safe-rm f1 f2 dir/ | All get .obsolete suffix |
| Restore | mv file.obsolete file | Original restored |
Recovery
| Scenario | Command |
|---|
| Single | mv file.obsolete file |
| With timestamp | mv file.obsolete.20251109_110500 file |
| Find all | find . -name "*.obsolete" |
| Restore all | find . -name "*.obsolete" | while read f; do mv "$f" "${f%.obsolete}"; done |
Workflow
- Mark obsolete →
safe-rm [files]
- Verify works →
npm test && npm run build
- Review periodic →
find . -name "*.obsolete"
- Permanent delete (when confident) →
/bin/rm [file].obsolete
When NOT to Use
| Scenario | Use safe-rm? | Why |
|---|
| Secrets (.env, keys) | ❌ | Needs secure deletion + git history rewrite |
| .git folder | ❌ | Too risky |
| node_modules | ⚠️ | rm -rf safe, but safe-rm works |
| Temp/build | ✅ | Reversible, safe |
Output Examples
Success:
✓ Renamed: file.txt → file.txt.obsolete
─────────────────────────────────────
Renamed: 1
Collision (timestamp fallback):
⚠ Already exists: file.obsolete
Using: file.obsolete.20251109_110500
✓ Renamed: file → file.obsolete.20251109_110500
Error:
✗ Not found: missing.txt
─────────────────────────────────────
Failed: 1
Quick Reference
| Task | Command |
|---|
| Remove single | ./.claude/bin/safe-rm file.txt |
| Remove multiple | ./.claude/bin/safe-rm f1 f2 dir/ |
| Restore | mv file.obsolete file |
| List obsolete | find . -name "*.obsolete" |
| Count | find . -name "*.obsolete" | wc -l |
Supporting Files
- EXAMPLES.md - 10 scenarios: temp files, refactoring, tests, collisions, assets, docs, batch ops, scripting, git, hooks
- TEMPLATES.md - Copy-paste commands for all operations
- VALIDATION.md - Safety checklists, verification commands
Key Insight
Safety by design: No permanent deletion → collision protection → hook compliance → audit trail. Development workflow: Refactor → safe-rm → Test → Review period → Permanent delete after confidence.
