Content-type: text/html Manpage of RM

RM

Section: FSF (1)
Updated: July 2000
Index Return to Main Contents
 

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.

GNU rm, like every program that uses the getopt function to parse its arguments, lets you use the -- option to indicate that all following arguments are non-options. To remove a file called `-f' in the current directory, you could type either

rm -- -f
or
rm ./-f
The Unix rm program's use of a single `-' for this purpose predates the development of the getopt standard syntax.  

OPTIONS

Remove (unlink) the FILE(s).

-d, --directory
unlink directory, even if non-empty (super-user only)
-f, --force
ignore nonexistent files, never prompt
-i, --interactive
prompt before any removal
-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:

../src/rm -- -foo ../src/rm ./-foo
 

AUTHOR

Written by Paul Rubin, David MacKenzie, Richard Stallman, and Jim Meyering.  

REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs to <bug-fileutils@gnu.org>.  

COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2000 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

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.


 

Index

NAME
SYNOPSIS
DESCRIPTION
OPTIONS
AUTHOR
REPORTING BUGS
COPYRIGHT
SEE ALSO

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Time: GMT, April 24, 2001