Deleting Images from Memory Card (w/o Trash)

[Dembo]

I feel incredible stupid, but here it goes:

How do I delete some pictures from an SD card mounted via a card reader without having to empty the Trash afterwards?

I am a recent switcher so I hope there is an easy answer to this one. If not, I guess I can toss together an Automator script calling the rm command (I quite like that the Mac is so scriptable).

Cheers,
Dembo

 

[Mr. G4]

You should never delete them from your computer.
Always delete them from your camera.

 

[ChrisA]

I can toss together an Automator script calling the rm command (I quite like that the Mac is so scriptable).

You answered your own question. The finder will just move files to the trash. To really rm them you need rm.

I lot of people will advise you not to mess with data on the card using a computer. The reason is that years ago the file systems inside some cameras were broken and if the computer did not exactly emulate this brokenness the camera could be confused. I don't know how valid this advice is today. Still, just so as to keep a redundant copy of my files for as long as possible I only use the camera's format function to delete images.

 

[Dembo]

Thanks to your replies guys. I guess I'll use my automator action then.

And btw this is not only for my camera. From time to time I copy podcasts/music to my cell phone's memory card which get replaced after a while. Obviously I don't want to whipe everything of the card in these instances.

Automator action will be fine - shame that OS X out of the box does not contain a "Delete File" thingy...

Cheers,
Dembo

 

[xUKHCx]

Thanks to your replies guys. I guess I'll use my automator action then.

And btw this is not only for my camera. From time to time I copy podcasts/music to my cell phone's memory card which get replaced after a while. Obviously I don't want to whipe everything of the card in these instances.

Automator action will be fine - shame that OS X out of the box does not contain a "Delete File" thingy...

Cheers,
Dembo

Why don't you want to empty the trash?

 

[Roy Hobbs]

Why don't you want to empty the trash?

Seems like it would take much more effort to set up a Automater Script and then run the script to empty the trash. Just empty the trash whats the big deal

 

[srf4real]

I always reformat the card upon putting it back in camera with the menu selection. Usually found in the play mode menu, it erases even raw files that may be hidden and hogging up space on the card, which your computer will not do, from my experience.

 

[WildPalms]

I always reformat the card upon putting it back in camera with the menu selection. Usually found in the play mode menu, it erases even raw files that may be hidden and hogging up space on the card, which your computer will not do, from my experience.

__________________
mini

Cool signature, btw

 

[Digital Skunk]

I don't understand how someone would want to make an Automater action to delete images off the card.

I hope the OP answers these questions since his situation seems simple, and they are making it way more complicated than it needs to be. Either format the card in camera, delete all of the images in camera, or empty the card in the computer, then empty the trash. They can do the same thing for the cards in other devices. Automater wasn't meant to be used to empty the trash.

 

[Dembo]

I don't understand how someone would want to make an Automater action to delete images off the card.

Easy answer: Action gets used not only for my camera but for my mobile phone's SD card too. Usually I keep 5-10 podcasts on my mobile phone so I can listen to them when going for a run in the evening.

There is other stuff on the card I would like to keep so if I rotate those 5-10 files out, I don't want to reformat the card in the phone. Furthermore if I am working on a project for a week or so I usually avoid emptying the trash just in case. Trash gets cleared out as soon as the project is finished.

If there would be a way to selectively remove items from the trash I'd be happy - as it stands I can live with the automator action. Works quite well.

Cheers,
Dembo

 

[qpawn]

What about an app like Graveyard?

 

[Dembo]

What about an app like Graveyard?

Oh sweet - this looks just like the app I was looking for. Thanks for pointing it out, guess I should've searched around a little bit before writing my own automator action.

As it stands, I can easily use the right click which calls a shell script doing a "rm -r" - I know: -r better be really careful with this one.

Thank you once again everybody,
Dembo

 

[Shaduu]

How about when importing to iPhoto, check the "Delete originals from camera" box and iPhoto will do it automatically.

 

[Digital Skunk]

Easy answer: Action gets used not only for my camera but for my mobile phone's SD card too. Usually I keep 5-10 podcasts on my mobile phone so I can listen to them when going for a run in the evening.

There is other stuff on the card I would like to keep so if I rotate those 5-10 files out, I don't want to reformat the card in the phone. Furthermore if I am working on a project for a week or so I usually avoid emptying the trash just in case. Trash gets cleared out as soon as the project is finished.

If there would be a way to selectively remove items from the trash I'd be happy - as it stands I can live with the automator action. Works quite well.

Cheers,
Dembo

Oh. Now I get it.