On Tue, May 27, 2008 at 05:50:53PM -0500, Travers Buda wrote:
quoted text
> * Stuart Henderson <stu@spacehopper.org> [2008-05-27 21:52:43]:
> 
> > On 2008-05-27, Travers Buda <traversbuda@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > Using xargs and tar -t (as someone posted) is probably the best
> > > method, short of just re-installing.
> > 
> > $DEITY no, look at the file list of xbase, for example.
> > 
> 
> Err yeah, you're right--very bad idea.
> 
> ./etc
> ./etc/X11
> ./etc/X11/app-defaults

My recommendation was plain rm, without -rf.  Viz:

   # cd /
   # tar tzf /path/to/xbase43.tgz | xargs rm

I believe it to be safe.  It will leave some directories in place, but won't
remove anything it's not supposed to.

In any case, for a test system as the OP has, reinstalling is probably faster
and easier.