Empty directory not getting deleted in external harddisk

[Bruce Pieterse]

On Tue 25 Oct 2011 21:31:28 SAST, Linux Tyro wrote:
> On Tue, Oct 25, 2011 at 11:25 PM, Rashkae <ubuntu at tigershaunt.com 
> <mailto:ubuntu at tigershaunt.com>> wrote:
>
>     Are you looking at the directories/files created in the /media
>     directory?  If so, you don't want to be deleting those.  They are
>     auto created when a removable drive is plugged in so the Operating
>     system has somewhere to mount the disk.  Those directories are
>     required to allow the system to access the disks, and are
>     added/removed automatically by the Ubuntu system.
>
>     If this is not what you mean, then we'll need more information.
>
>
> On Tue, Oct 25, 2011 at 11:44 PM, Bruce Pieterse <octoquadza at gmail.com 
> <mailto:octoquadza at gmail.com>> wrote:
>
>     Hi,
>
>     What is the location/full path of these files? Have you tried
>     unmounting the device and running fsck against it if it is an
>     ext2/3/4 filesystem?
>
>
> This is how the directories are getting created:
>
> i) 43c9f2721ed24ab138b75e5e       ->           ii) databases           
>           ->              iii) d74157950031f86b102e1759dcd53f
> db
>     (it is directory)                               (it is also a 
> directory)                             (it is a file, I don't know 
> which format it is)
>
> In the above the last two ('databases' and 
> 'd74157950031f86b102e1759dcd53fdb') I am able to delete (but each time 
> whenever I plug the hard disk) but the first one 
> ('43c9f2721ed24ab138b75e5e'), a directory doesn't get deleted even 
> after emptying it (that is, even after deleting the other two).
>
> i) '43c9f2721ed24ab138b75e5e' is the directory inside the usb hard-disk.
> ii) 'databases' is the directory inside the directory no. i)
> iii) 'd74157950031f86b102e1759dcd53f' is the file inside the directory 
> no. ii)
>
> I am able to delete ii) and iii) but i) is not getting deleted. Its 
> not on /media (I checked with the command 'ls /media') but inside the 
> usb hard-disk.
>
> I have several times unmounted the device (from the right click menu) 
> and several times inserted again but again the files get created [ii) 
> and iii)] however i) remains there.
>
> Thx.
>
> -- 
> Two atoms are walking along. Suddenly, one stops. The other says, "What's
> wrong?" "I've lost an electron." "Are you sure?" "I'm positive!"
>
> ===================================================
> Ubuntu LTS is good <http://sites.google.com/site/whyilikeubuntu/>!
> ===================================================
>
>
>

Ok, thanks for confirming the directory structure. You have not 
indicated if you have run a fsck on the drive, perhaps there is 
something wrong with journal on the filesystem, in which case you keep 
seeing the same folder reappearing.

Please open a terminal (CTRL + ALT + T) and run fsck -y 
/dev/sd[a-z][0-9]. Where [a-z] and [0-9] this would be substituted for 
the actual block device detect by the OS and partition i.e /dev/sdb1. 
If you are not sure, mount the device and send the information from the 
terminal when you run sudo fdisk -l and I/we can advise accordingly.
-- 
Best of luck,

Bruce