Aliasing `rm` to create a CLI "recycle bin"

Question

When we do

mv /root/file /root/folder/

It moves /root/file to /root/folder

I want to do the same thing, but I want to reverse the order of how mv perceives the arguments

I want to declare an alias (not function) like

alias rm="mv /root/folder"

So, when I would do

rm /root/file

it would move that particular file to the /root/folder

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Why, I don't want to use a function?

Because I cannot name the function rm() as the keyword rm already exists.

I want to be able to use the keyword rm because it's a regular habit for all of us.

Answer 1

Personally, I think this is a bad idea. If you want to use a trash or recycle bin on the command line, install trash-cli.

Why I think it is a bad idea:

• What happens when you want to use rm - the exiting, remove files or directories application?

• What happens when you move a file with a file name that matches a file already in /root/folder?

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It's worth noting that the author of trash-cli also thinks this aliasing is a bad idea, after some experience with it:

Can I alias rm to trash-put?

You can but you shouldn't. In the early days I thought it was a good idea to do that but now I changed my mind.

...

And, Andrea recommends an alternative approach:

You could alias rm to something that will remind you to not use it:

alias rm='echo "This is not the command you are looking for."; false'

Answer 2

alias rm="mv -t /root/folder" will do that if you have a mv that supports the nonstandard -t option. See mv(1) for more options (you'll probably want --no-clobber / --interactive too).

If you want a POSIX solution, you can absolutely work around the basic rm (http://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9699919799/utilities/rm.html#top) with a function named rm:

rm() {  mv "$@" /root/folder;  } # a start