rm removes each file specified on the command line. By default, it does not remove directories.

When rm is executed with the -r or -R options, it recursively deletes any matching directories, their subdirectories, and all files they contain. See removing directories below for details.

The removal process unlinks a file name in a filesystem from its associated data, and marks that space on the storage device as usable by future writes. In other words, when you remove a file, the data in the file isn't changed, but it's no longer associated with a filename.

The data itself is not destroyed, but after being unlinked with rm, it becomes inaccessible. Remove your files wisely! It's not like putting something in the Windows Recycle Bin; once you rm a file or directory, there is no way to undo it.

rm [-f | --force] {[-i | --interactive[=always]] | [-I | --interactive=once] |
   [--interactive=never]} [--one-file-system] [--no-preserve-root | --preserve-root] 
[-r | -R | --recursive] [-d | --dir] [-v | --verbose] FILE...

rm --help

rm --version

Options

Usage notes

If the -I/--interactive=once option is given, and there are more than three files or the -r/-R/--recursive options are specified, rm will prompt before deleting anything. If the user does not respond yes/y/Y to the prompt, the entire command is aborted.

If a file is unwritable, stdin is a terminal, and the -f/--force option is not given, or the -i or --interactive=always option is given, rm prompts the user for whether to remove the file. If the response is not yes/y/Y, the file is skipped.

Removing directories

By default, rm does not remove directories. If the -r/-R/--recursive option is specified, however, rm will remove any matching directories and their contents.

If the specified directory is empty, it may be removed with the -d/--dir option, instead.

File names starting with a dash

To remove a file whose name begins with a dash ("-"), you can specify a double dash ("--") separately before the file name. This extra dash is necessary so that rm does not misinterpret the file name as an option.

For instance, if there is a file in your current directory named "-file.txt", you can delete it with the command

rm -- -file.txt

Or, you can delete it by referring to it with a pathname. For instance, if the file "-file.txt" was located in the directory "/home/hope", you could delete it using:

rm /home/hope/-file.txt

...or, if /home/hope is currently your working directory,

rm ./-file.txt

...will work as well.

rm myfile.txt

Remove the file myfile.txt. If the file is write-protected, you will be prompted to confirm that you really want to delete it.

rm -f myfile.txt

Remove the file myfile.txt. You will not be prompted, even if the file is write-protected; if rm can delete the file, it will.

rm *

Remove all files in the working directory. If it is write-protected, you will be prompted before rm removes it.

rm -f *

Remove all files in the working directory. rm will not prompt you for any reason before deleting them.

rm -i *

Attempt to remove every file in the working directory, but prompt before each file to confirm.

rm -I *

Remove every file in the working directory; prompt for confirmation if more than three files are being deleted.

rm -r mydirectory

Remove the directory mydirectory, and any files and directories it contains. If a file or directory that rm tries to delete is write-protected, you will be prompted to make sure that you really want to delete it.

rm -rf mydirectory

Same as the above command, but you will never be prompted; if rm can delete the files, it will.