How do you actually DELETE stuff on OSX...?

[Amp34]

I'm using OSX lion and having trouble with the delete function...

When I use a USB stick and plug it inI can "delete" the contents with *command delete* however it doesn't actually free up the space. It sends it to trash and still takes up the same amount of space so when I try and stick new things on it OSX complains there is not enough space left.

Am I missing a trick? Is it like most other things on OSX where it involves a rather convoluted option involving terminal or is there another key combination I should be using...?

I'm also having another issue. I installed some updates recently and now all the hidden files are now visible (such as trash and .Ds_store in every folder). How do I hide them again?

Thanks

 

[Amp34]

Thanks.

It's not quite like windows because that overwrites items in the recycle bin if you run out of space, is there an option on OSX to allow it to automatically overwrite files in trash like windows?

 

[Amp34]

I have done that thanks, however I'm also wondering if there is a setting I can use that allows files to overwrite other files automatically when they are in the trash, like Windows.

 

[Amp34]

I was but I had nothing in my trash can to empty!

However, this is not what the OP wants. The OP would like to delete stuff without going into the trash can i.e. delete forever in one command.

Not quite, I want to be able to delete to the trash can but then when the drive is full for the stuff in the trash to be automatically overwritten. On windows you delete stuff, it goes into the recycle bin, where you can restore if needed (as OSX), however when you run out of space on the drive files overwrite the oldest files in the recycle bin, meaning no need to have to actually ever need to empty the recycle bin, especially useful on USB sticks and removable drives.

 

[Amp34]

Is SHIFT+CMD+Backspace really so hard that an option is needed to automatically empty the Trash? I think not. It's just culture change coming from Windows.

It may be a culture change but it's a backwards one IMO. It's the sort of thing MS sorted out in windows 95 yet Apple still haven't got a grasp on for some reason. For example I guess there is no way of just deleting the trash on a particular drive? Which the windows way sorts out.

So right click on trash empty trash is so very different from right click on recycle bin empty recycle bin?

Also the option in the right click menu for files/folders is move to trash not delete.

That's not what I am after... You don't NEED to right click the recycle bin, you only go to it if you need to restore something.

(Didn't realise this thread was still going until today! )