LINUX COMMAND ATLAS · COMMAND GUIDE

Linux rm command

Remove files. This does not normally move them to a recoverable trash folder.

GNU Coreutils

Syntax

Command form

rm [OPTION]... FILE...

6 options

Option	What it does
`-i, --interactive=always`	Prompt before every removal.
`-I`	Prompt once before removing many files or recursively.
`-f, --force`	Ignore nonexistent files and never prompt.
`-r, -R, --recursive`	Remove directories and their contents recursively.
`-d, --dir`	Remove empty directories.
`-v, --verbose`	Print each removed item.

3 examples

Remove files. This does not normally move them to a recoverable trash folder.

rm -i ./old-notes.txt

Ask before deleting a file; -- ends option parsing.

rm -i -- old-draft.txt

Ask once before removing multiple matching files.

rm -I -- *.tmp

Deletion may be irreversible. Check the current directory and exact paths first; never run an unfamiliar recursive command with elevated privileges.