make uninstall can execute rm -rf /

[thierry-martinez]

make uninstall executes rm -rf / if it is executed just after ./configure fails.

This happens for instance when I try to install the camlp5 opam package in a 4.06.1 switch: this version of OCaml is not ruled out by the opam file, so opam tries to install it, runs ./configure and fails with the message:

Sorry: the compatibility with ocaml version "4.06.1"
is not yet implemented. Please report.

Then opam executes make uninstall which executes rm -rf /.

[roglo]

The real problem is the compatibility with ocaml. The "rm -rf /" is an opam issue after. Ok, I just updated camlp5 for compatibility with ocaml 4.06.1 and 4.06.2. Release of Camlp5 soon.

[thierry-martinez]

Now fixed ( d561693 ). Thanks! (See also ocaml/opam-repository#11440 )

[varkor]

A significant portion of my hard drive was just wiped when I didn't notice this behaviour was occurring into several minutes after make uninstall was called transitively (ocaml/opam#3231). You absolutely need to have more safeguards in place for this.

[nerpderp83]

This just wiped out my home directory. See ocaml/opam#3316

[roglo]

I am very confused, very sorry. But I can't do anything. I made a new release of Camlp5 (7.05) when I was notified of the problem. This error is also due to the way opam works, which should not do anything if configuration failed. Opam should urgently be fixed too.