Deleting Files
July 19, 1998
The "rm" utility is used to delete files.
As a warning, in UNIX there is no easy way to recover a
deleted file unless you have it saved in a backup. So be
very careful when using this command.
rm follows the standard form of:
rm [options] space_delimted_filelist
The rm utility has three extremely useful options
| Option |
Explanation |
| -r |
Deletes in a recursive manner including whole directories.
Obviously you should be extremely careful with this option. |
| -i |
Specifies that you wish to reconfirm each file before it is
deleted. This is a particularly useful option if you are
deleting using -r or with wild cards. |
| -f |
Bypasses the prompt when deleting against permission. |
| -- |
Specifies that the options are over if necessary |
![[rm Example]](Images/rm.gif)
| It cannot be said too
forcefully that you should be extremely careful when using
wildcards with "rm". In particular, you should try not to use
the rm utility like "rm *' or "rm -r *" unless you really,
really, really know what you are doing AND you have already
backed up the data you are deleting. If you delete files by
mistake, and you have not made your own backup, your only
recourse is to hope that your system administrator has backed
up the system for you.
One deeply evil mistake is when you mean to
type "rm *.bak" and instead you type "rm * .bak". Notice the
accidental space between the "*" and the ".bak". If you do
this, all your files will be erased and you will get an error
message saying that the file .bak does not exist. Believe me,
this is easy to do...I have done it twice to my great dismay.
So be very careful. It is always safer to use
the "-i" option when you use rm's with wild cards.
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Additional Resources:
Moving and Renaming Files
Introduction to UNIX for Web Developers | Table of Contents
Directories
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