An element can become stranded when you do any of the following:
- Create new elements, and then cancel the checkout of directory in which
they were created
- Delete the last reference to an element by using the rmname command
- Delete the last reference to an element by deleting a directory version
with the rmver, rmbranch, or rmelem command
When an element is moved to
lost+found, its
name changes to this form:
element_leaf_name.UUID
For
example, an element named util.c could have the name util.c.41a00000bcaa11caacd0080069021c7.
The
lost+found directory has several unique properties:
- It cannot be checked out.
- Its contents can be modified even though it is not checked out.
- No branches can be created within it.
To conserve disk space, periodically clean up the
lost+found directory:
- If you need an element in lost+found, move it to
another directory by using cleartool mv.
- You can use cleartool rmelem to
remove elements from lost+found if you are
sure that they are no longer needed. See the rmelem reference
page for additional cautions about using rmelem.
Note: To access the lost+found directory from a
snapshot view, you must include the directory in the view’s load rules. After lost+found and
its elements are loaded into the view, you can move or remove elements as
needed.