RM
NAME
rm - remove files or directories
SYNOPSIS
rm [options] file...
POSIX options:
[-fiRr]
GNU options (shortest form):
[-dfirvR]
[--help] [--version] [--]
DESCRIPTION
cLIeNUX rm has two modifications vs. GNU. It gives the full usage
message when given no arguments at all, and it checks the arglist
for "/" and exits immediately with a message if it encounters "/".
rm -rf /
doesn't work in cLIeNUX. It doesn't make sense anyway.
rm
removes each given
file.
By default, it does not remove directories.
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.
POSIX OPTIONS
- -f
-
Do not prompt for confirmation. Do not write diagnostic messages.
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.
SVID DETAILS
The System V Interface Definition forbids removal of the
last link to an executable binary file that is being executed.
GNU DETAILS
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.)
GNU OPTIONS
- -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 unlinking 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.
GNU STANDARD OPTIONS
- --help
-
Print a usage message on standard output and exit successfully.
- --version
-
Print version information on standard output, then exit successfully.
- --
-
Terminate option list.
ENVIRONMENT
The variables LANG, LC_ALL, LC_COLLATE, LC_CTYPE and LC_MESSAGES have the
usual meaning.
CONFORMING TO
POSIX 1003.2, except for the limitation on file hierarchy depth.
NOTES
This page describes
rm
as found in the fileutils-3.16 package;
other versions may differ slightly. Mail corrections and additions to
aeb@cwi.nl and aw@mail1.bet1.puv.fi and ragnar@lightside.ddns.org .
Report bugs in the program to fileutils-bugs@gnu.ai.mit.edu.