Command library / rm

Delete files and directories

Removes files permanently — there's no trash can in the shell, no undo. -r is required to remove a directory (recursively, including everything inside it); -f suppresses confirmation prompts and missing-file errors, which makes it powerful and dangerous in the same breath.

Usage

Options and flags

• file

  one or more files or directories to delete

• -r, -R, --recursive

  remove directories and everything inside them

• -f, --force

  never prompt, ignore nonexistent files

• -i, --interactive

  ask for confirmation before every removal

Examples

• rm old-report.txt

  Delete a single file, permanently.

• rm -r build/

  Delete a directory and everything inside it.

• rm -i secrets.txt

  Delete with a confirmation prompt first — cheap insurance on something you're unsure about.

Common mistakes

Related commands