DBs still have files, they can be rm'ed. DBs also have other delete commands like 'DELETE FROM x'

My point is it's just as easy to "accidentally" delete data in a database as it is in text files.

> you said "what if the db has a bug or vulnerability", my point is you have to rely on something, even the kernel. The difference is how stable these things are, and databases can be very stable.

Someone else said that. I think the whole stability point is moot.

> not all kernel vulnerabilities will put the db at risk, it depends on the exposure to parts of the kernel. You can restrict the type and "fanciness" of the file-system a database will use if you know you don't need those additions, in the same way you use a stable fs for system files. You need a basic set of binaries one way or the other to access this data.

If a software vulnerability exposes text files like /etc/passwd then it can expose the database disk files in exactly the same way. Having a database format won't magically stop files from being read remotely.

It's also worth mentioning that most of the time it's not kernel vulnerabilities you need to be worried about (not that I'm saying they're not bad); any bug in software (e.g. Wordpress vulnerability) that allows an attacker to specify the source file to be read would put both your database config concept and the existing UNIX config layout at risk.