RM(1) RM(1)
NAME
rm - remove files or directories
SYNOPSIS
rm[options] file...
POSIX options: [-fiRr][--]
GNU options (shortest form): [-dfirvR][--help][--version][--]
DESCRIPTION
rm removes each given file. By default, it does not remove directo-
ries. But when the -r or -R option is given, the entire directory tree
below the specified directory is removed (and there are no limitations
on the depth of directory trees that can be removed by 'rm -r'). It is
an error when the last path component of file is either . or .. (so as
to avoid unpleasant surprises with 'rm -r .*' or so).
If the -i option is given, or if a file is unwritable, standard input
is a terminal, and the -f option is not given, rm prompts the user for
whether to remove the file, writing a question to stderr and reading an
answer from stdin. If the response is not affirmative, the file is
skipped.
POSIXOPTIONS
-f Do not prompt for confirmation. Do not write diagnostic mes-
sages. Do not produce an error return status if the only errors
were nonexisting files.
-i Prompt for confirmation. (In case both -f and -i are given, the
last one given takes effect.)
-r or -R
Recursively remove directory trees.
-- Terminate option list.
SVIDDETAILS
The System V Interface Definition forbids removal of the last link to
an executable binary file that is being executed.
GNUDETAILS
The GNU implementation (in fileutils-3.16) is broken in the sense that
there is an upper limit to the depth of hierarchies that can be
removed. (If necessary, a utility 'deltree' can be used to remove very
deep trees.)
GNUOPTIONS
-d,--directory
Remove directories with unlink(2) instead of rmdir(2), and don't
require a directory to be empty before trying to unlink it.
Only works if you have appropriate privileges. Because unlink-
ing a directory causes any files in the deleted directory to
become unreferenced, it is wise to fsck(8) the filesystem after
doing this.
-f,--force
Ignore nonexistent files and never prompt the user.
-i,--interactive
Prompt whether to remove each file. If the response is not
affirmative, the file is skipped.
-r,-R,--recursive
Remove the contents of directories recursively.
-v,--verbose
Print the name of each file before removing it.
GNUSTANDARDOPTIONS
--help Print a usage message on standard output and exit successfully.
--version
Print version information on standard output, then exit success-
fully.
-- Terminate option list.
ENVIRONMENT
The variables LANG, LC_ALL, LC_COLLATE, LC_CTYPE and LC_MESSAGES have
the usual meaning.
CONFORMINGTO
POSIX 1003.2, except for the limitation on file hierarchy depth.
NOTES
This page describes rm as found in the fileutils-4.0 package; other
versions may differ slightly. Mail corrections and additions to
aeb cwi.nl. Report bugs in the program to fileutils-
bugsgnu.edu.
Sometimes one wishes to recover deleted files. It helps to have back-
ups. It helps to use a trash directory, so that removed files are only
moved to the trash. But actually removed files, although gone in prin-
ciple, can sometimes be recovered. For details for the ext2 filesys-
tem, see the Ext2fs-Undeletion mini-Howto.
GNU fileutils 4.0 1998-11 RM(1)
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