Manual pages › General commands (1)
rm(1)
remove files or directories
Package: coreutil, added for amigaux.
This package comes with the extra set; without it, rm is the original one: see rm-original(1).
NAME
rm - remove files or directories
SYNOPSIS
rm [OPTION]... FILE...
DESCRIPTION
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 does not begin with `y' or `Y', the file is skipped.
OPTIONS
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.
AUTHOR
Written by Paul Rubin, David MacKenzie, Richard Stallman, and Jim Meyering.
REPORTING BUGS
Report bugs to <bug-coreutils@gnu.org>.
COPYRIGHT
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.
SEE ALSO
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 coreutils rm
should give you access to the complete manual.
| March 2004 | rm (coreutils) 5.2.1 |