rm – Remove Files and Directories

The rm command is used to delete files and directories. Use it with caution, because removed files are generally not recoverable.

Syntax

rm [OPTION]... FILE...
  • You specify one or more files or directories to delete.

Common Options

Option Description
-i Interactive: prompt before every removal
-f Force removal without prompt and ignore nonexistent files
-r or -R Recursive: remove directories and their contents
-v Verbose: show files as they are removed
--one-file-system When removing recursively, skip directories on other file systems

Practical Examples

1. Remove a single file

rm file.txt

2. Remove multiple files at once

rm file1.txt file2.txt file3.txt

3. Prompt before deleting each file

rm -i file.txt

4. Remove an empty directory (use rmdir instead)

rmdir directory_name

5. Remove a directory and all its contents recursively

rm -r directory_name

6. Force remove a directory and its contents without prompts

rm -rf directory_name

7. Verbose removal showing all files deleted

rm -v file.txt
rm -rv directory_name

WARNING: Use with Extreme Caution

  • Never run rm -rf * or sudo rm -rf * unless you are absolutely sure what you are doing.

  • These commands recursively delete everything in the current directory and below, without any confirmation, and can easily wipe out your entire system or important data.

  • Running sudo rm -rf * as root is especially dangerous because it has permission to delete critical system files and can make your system unusable.

  • If you want safer deletions, always use the -i option to confirm each file removal:

rm -ri directory_name
  • Alternatively, double-check your working directory before running destructive commands:
pwd
ls

Tips

  • Use trash-cli or similar tools if you want a “recycle bin” like safe delete.

  • Be mindful of shell expansions: wildcards like * or ? can match many files unexpectedly.

  • For safer scripting, avoid using rm -rf without checks.

See Also

  • rmdir – remove empty directories
  • find with -delete or -exec rm for advanced removal
  • Backup important files before deleting!

Summary

rm is a powerful and dangerous command to delete files and directories. Always double-check your command and consider using interactive mode (-i) or backups to prevent accidental data loss.