Introduction
Removing files and directories in Linux can be done using the ‘rm’ command. This command is used to delete files and directories from the Linux file system. The ‘rm’ command is a powerful tool and should be used with caution as it can delete files and directories permanently. In this tutorial, we will discuss how to use the ‘rm’ command to remove a directory and file in Linux. We will also discuss some of the options available with the ‘rm’ command and how to use them.
How to Remove a Directory and File in Linux Using ‘rm’ Command
To remove a directory and its contents, use the ‘rm -r’ command.
For example, to remove a directory named ‘mydir’ and all its contents, use the following command:
rm -r mydir
To remove a single file, use the ‘rm’ command followed by the file name.
For example, to remove a file named ‘myfile.txt’, use the following command:
rm myfile.txt
The rm command is a UNIX and Linux command line utility for removing files or directories on a Linux system. In this article, we will clearly explain what actually rm and “rm -rf” commands can do in Linux.
In addition, we will share a few useful examples of removing a file, removing a directory, removing multiple files or directories, prompting for confirmation, removing files recursively, and forcing the removal of files.
The rm command is also one of the frequently used commands on a Linux system, but also a dangerous command that you will discover later on in this article.
Remove File in Linux
By default, the rm command only removes file or files specified on the command line immediately and it doesn’t remove directories.
$ mkdir -p tecmint_files $ touch tecmint.txt $ rm tecmint.txt $ rm tecmint_files
Remove Multiple Files in Linux
To remove multiple files at once, specify the file names one by one (for example file1 file2) or use a pattern to remove multiple files (for example, a pattern ending with .txt) at one go.
$ rm tecmint.txt fossmint.txt [Using Filenames] $ rm *.txt [Using Pattern]
Remove Directory in Linux
To remove a directory, you can use the -r or -R switch, which tells rm to delete a directory recursively including its content (sub-directories and files).
$ rm tecmint_files/ $ rm -R tecmint_files/
Remove Files with Confirmation in Linux
To prompt for confirmation while deleting a file, use the -i option as shown.
$ rm -i tecmint.txt
Remove Directory with Confirmation in Linux
To prompt for confirmation while deleting a directory and its sub-directories, use the -R and -i option as shown.
$ rm -Ri tecmint_files/
Force Remove Directory in Linux
To remove a file or directory forcefully, you can use the option -f force a deletion operation without rm prompting you for confirmation. For example, if a file is unwritable, rm will prompt you whether to remove that file or not, to avoid this and simply execute the operation.
$ rm -f tecmint.txt
When you combine the -r and -f flags, it means that recursively and forcibly remove a directory (and its contents) without prompting for confirmation.
$ rm -rf fossmint_files
Delete Directory with Verbose in Linux
To show more information when deleting a file or directory, use the -v option, this will enable the rm command to show what is being done on the standard output.
$ rm -rv fossmint_files
rm -rf / Command in Linux
You should always keep in mind that “rm -rf” is one of the most dangerous commands, that you can never run on a Linux system, especially as root. The following command will clear everything on your root(/) partition.
# rm -rf /
Create rm Command Alias in Linux
As a safety measure, you can make rm always prompt you to confirm a deletion operation, every time you want to delete a file or directory, using the -i option.
To create an alias for the rm command permanently, add an alias in your $HOME/.bashrc file.
alias rm="rm -i"
Save the changes and exit the file. Then source your .bashrc file as shown or open a new terminal for the changes to take effect.
$ source $HOME/.bashrc
This simply implies that whenever you execute rm, it will be invoked with the -i option by default (but using the -f flag will override this setting).
$ rm fossmint.txt $ rm tecmint.txt
Does rm Remove Files in Linux
Actually, the rm command never deletes a file, instead, it unlinks from the disk, but the data is still on the disk and can be recovered using tools such as PhotoRec, Scalpel, or Foremost.
If you really want to permanently delete a file or directory, you can use the shred command-line tool to overwrite a file to hide its contents.
That’s it! In this article, we have explained some really useful rm command examples and also elaborated on what the “rm -rf” command can do in Linux. If you have any questions, or additions to share, use the comment form below to reach us.
How to Remove a Directory and File in Linux Using ‘rm’ Command
Removing a directory or file in Linux is a simple task that can be accomplished using the ‘rm’ command. The ‘rm’ command is a powerful tool that can be used to delete files and directories from the Linux command line. In this article, we will discuss how to use the ‘rm’ command to remove a directory and file in Linux.
Removing a Directory
To remove a directory in Linux, you can use the ‘rm’ command with the ‘-r’ option. The ‘-r’ option stands for recursive, which means that the command will delete the directory and all of its contents. For example, if you wanted to delete the directory ‘mydir’, you would use the following command:
rm -r mydir
This command will delete the directory ‘mydir’ and all of its contents. Be careful when using this command, as it will delete all of the files and directories inside the directory you are deleting.
Removing a File
To remove a file in Linux, you can use the ‘rm’ command without any options. For example, if you wanted to delete the file ‘myfile.txt’, you would use the following command:
rm myfile.txt
This command will delete the file ‘myfile.txt’. Be careful when using this command, as it will delete the file permanently and it cannot be recovered.
Conclusion
In this article, we discussed how to use the ‘rm’ command to remove a directory and file in Linux. The ‘rm’ command is a powerful tool that can be used to delete files and directories from the Linux command line. Be sure to use this command with caution, as it will delete the files and directories permanently and they cannot be recovered.
