safe-file-removal

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

1. Mark obsolete → safe-rm [files]
2. Verify works → npm test && npm run build
3. Review periodic → find . -name "*.obsolete"
4. 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.