rm - remove files

rm removes the named file arguments. By default it does not remove directories. If a file is unwritable, the standard input is a terminal, and the --force option is not given, rm prompts the user for whether to remove the file. An affirmative response (y or Y) removes the file, a quit response (q or Q) causes rm to exit immediately, and all other responses skip the current file.

-c|F, --clear|clobber

Clear the contents of each file before removing by writing a 0 filled buffer the same size as the file, executing fsync(2) and closing before attempting to remove. Implemented only on systems that support fsync(2).

-d, --directory

remove(3) (or unlink(2)) directories rather than rmdir(2), and don't require that they be empty before removal. The caller requires sufficient privilege, not to mention a strong constitution, to use this option. Even though the directory must not be empty, rm still attempts to empty it before removal.

-f, --force

Ignore nonexistent files, ignore no file operands specified, and never prompt the user.

-i, --interactive|prompt

Prompt whether to remove each file. An affirmative response (y or Y) removes the file, a quit response (q or Q) causes rm to exit immediately, and all other responses skip the current file.

-r|R, --recursive

Remove the contents of directories recursively.

-u, --unconditional

If --recursive and --force are also enabled then the owner read, write and execute modes are enabled (if not already enabled) for each directory before attempting to remove directory contents.

-v, --verbose

Print the name of each file before removing it.

mv(1), rmdir(2), unlink(2), remove(3)

version

rm (AT&T Research) 2012-02-14

author

Glenn Fowler <gsf@research.att.com>

author

David Korn <dgk@research.att.com>

copyright

Copyright © 1992-2012 AT&T Intellectual Property

license

http://www.eclipse.org/org/documents/epl-v10.html