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rm - remove files or directories
rm [OPTION]... FILE...
This
manual page documents the GNU version of rm. rm removes each specified file.
By default, it does not remove directories.
If a file is unwritable, the
standard input is a tty, and the -f or --force option is not given, rm prompts
the user for whether to remove the file. If the response is not affirmative,
the file is skipped.
Remove (unlink) the FILE(s).
- -d, --directory
- unlink
FILE, even if it is a non-empty directory (super-user only; this works only
if your system
- supports ‘unlink’ for nonempty directories)
- -f, --force
- ignore
nonexistent files, never prompt
- -i, --interactive
- prompt before any removal
- --no-preserve-root do not treat ‘/’ specially (the default)
- --preserve-root
- fail
to operate recursively on ‘/’
- -r, -R, --recursive
- remove the contents of directories
recursively
- -v, --verbose
- explain what is being done
- --help
- display this help
and exit
- --version
- output version information and exit
To remove a file whose
name starts with a ‘-’, for example ‘-foo’, use one of these commands:
- rm -- -foo
- rm ./-foo
Note that if you use rm to remove a file, it is usually possible
to recover the contents of that file. If you want more assurance that the
contents are truly unrecoverable, consider using shred.
Written by
Paul Rubin, David MacKenzie, Richard Stallman, and Jim Meyering.
Report bugs to <bug-coreutils@gnu.org>.
Copyright © 2004 Free Software
Foundation, Inc.
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions. There is
NO warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
chattr(1)
, shred(1)
The full documentation for rm is maintained
as a Texinfo manual. If the info and rm programs are properly installed
at your site, the command
- info rm
should give you access to the complete
manual.
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