Build-your-own panic attack

Had to install some printer drivers today at work during our big production day, and the installer dropped a directory full of useless documentation at the root level of the drive. So I went to move it, but said installer had placed it there as the root user. So I fired up a terminal and told the machine to “sudo rm -r” the directory (in non geek-speak, pretend I am the master user and delete this directory and its contents). As always after doing that kind of thing, I double-check what I’ve done by getting a fresh directory listing.

The terminal reports that the disk is completely empty. Completely. Not a single file.

Well, to say I was freaking out was one way of putting things. Now, the GUI insisted the files were all still there, and my running apps were all still functioning, but the terminal insisted on showing a blank listing. So, finally, I logged out of the whole shebang and logged right back in.

The GUI still says everything is where it should be. Check the terminal… which has recovered from its amnesia and confirms that all is well. *heavy sigh*

I think I need a cookie.

Such a Deal!

Just found this in our paper while doing a spell check:

“IBM PS-1 Desktop Computer. Works Good. $250”

Line forms to the left, folks 🙂