Cannot delete directory 'foo': File exists

[php1ic]

Dear all,

I was transferring some files from my laptop (running FC6) to a server at my work (don't know what kind) with "scp -rpC" and it stalled, don't know why.
Now when I try to delete the files from the server so I can start again I get the following error message

rm -r Single_injections/
rm: cannot remove directory `Single_injections/195320/400mA/010': File exists
rm: cannot remove directory `Single_injections/195320/400mA': File exists
rm: cannot remove directory `Single_injections/195320': File exists
rm: cannot remove directory `Single_injections': File exists

looking in the deepest directory I see one hidden file which seems to be regenerated if I try to delete it

ls -al 400mA/010/
total 716
drwxr-xr-x    2 php1ic   phpg         4096 Jan 17 16:36 ./
drwxr-xr-x    3 php1ic   phpg         4096 Jan 17 16:34 ../
-rwxr-xr-x    1 php1ic   phpg       720896 Jan 17 16:12 .nfsD1236*
rm -f 400mA/010/.nfsD1236 
ls -al 400mA/010/
total 716
drwxr-xr-x    2 php1ic   phpg         4096 Jan 17 16:39 ./
drwxr-xr-x    3 php1ic   phpg         4096 Jan 17 16:34 ../
-rwxr-xr-x    1 php1ic   phpg       720896 Jan 17 16:12 .nfsE1236*

I don't have root access as it is a work server, any ideas what has happened or how to solve the problem?

Thanks

[creeping death]

i dont think you can, since you are not the owner...

i think that maybe there is some sort of backup file...you should rm -rf the file and its backup too...

and you may also try rm -rf on the directory...

[php1ic]

Thanks for the quick response creeping death.

rm -rf on the 'top' directory unfortunately gives me the same error message, and I am the owner of all of the directories and the hidden file.

Is there some other option I should use with ls to look for a backup? I thought ls -al showed all files in a directory.

Is there a directory used by scp as a temporary place to store a files while the entire thing is transfered?

[creeping death]

hmm...i myself m just beginning to learn unix commands...i will see if i can find out...

[php1ic]

Don't worry about it creeping death, I was about to try the advice on this forum:

http://www.unix.com/unix-dummies-que...le-exists.html

but had been kicked of the server after the connection timed out (this is in itself strange as sometimes I'm logged on for days). Logged backed on and rm -r worked on the main directory?!

A total stab in the dark would be either the machines had been through some sort of cycle (ie if you ask for something to be changed by the administrator it always takes time to take affect, that kind of cycle), or perhaps work was being done that went slightly wrong.

Don't know, and probably never will, but such is life.

Thanks for your help.

[creeping death]

Originally Posted by php1ic

Don't worry about it creeping death, I was about to try the advice on this forum:

http://www.unix.com/unix-dummies-que...le-exists.html

but had been kicked of the server after the connection timed out (this is in itself strange as sometimes I'm logged on for days). Logged backed on and rm -r worked on the main directory?!

A total stab in the dark would be either the machines had been through some sort of cycle (ie if you ask for something to be changed by the administrator it always takes time to take affect, that kind of cycle), or perhaps work was being done that went slightly wrong.

Don't know, and probably never will, but such is life.

Thanks for your help.

i thought it was strange...you should get an exorcist next time your workstation gets possessed like this...

[php1ic]

Guess what? It has happened again. This time I followed the advice at the previously posted link and it worked perfectly.

I had to use /usr/sbin/fuser rather than simply fuser but apart from that the steps were exactly as laid out in the link.