Re: rm -f and unexecutable directories

[Jim Meyering]

Ed Avis <address@hidden> wrote:
> % mkdir -p fred/jim
> % chmod a-x fred/jim
> % rm -rf fred
> rm: cannot chdir from `fred' to `jim': Permission denied
>
> But since I own the directory I could change the permissions and then
> remove it.  Shouldn't rm do this if I gave the 'force' option?  I
> thought that would take all measures necessary.

rm may not do that.
POSIX prohibits it.