RM(1)                                                                    RM(1)



NAME
       rm - remove files or directories

SYNOPSIS
       rm [options] file...

       POSIX options: [-fiRr] [--]

       GNU options (shortest form): [-dfirvR] [--help] [--version] [--]

DESCRIPTION
       rm  removes  each  given file.  By default, it does not remove directo-
       ries.  But when the -r or -R option is given, the entire directory tree
       below  the specified directory is removed (and there are no limitations
       on the depth of directory trees that can be removed by `rm -r').  It is
       an error when the last path component of file is either . or ..  (so as
       to avoid unpleasant surprises with `rm -r .*' or so).

       If the -i option is given, or if a file is unwritable,  standard  input
       is  a terminal, and the -f option is not given, rm prompts the user for
       whether to remove the file, writing a question to stderr and reading an
       answer  from  stdin.   If  the response is not affirmative, the file is
       skipped.

POSIX OPTIONS
       -f     Do not prompt for confirmation. Do  not  write  diagnostic  mes-
              sages.  Do not produce an error return status if the only errors
              were nonexisting files.

       -i     Prompt for confirmation.  (In case both -f and -i are given, the
              last one given takes effect.)

       -r or -R
              Recursively remove directory trees.

       --     Terminate option list.

SVID DETAILS
       The  System  V Interface Definition forbids removal of the last link to
       an executable binary file that is being executed.

GNU DETAILS
       The GNU implementation (in fileutils-3.16) is broken in the sense  that
       there  is  an  upper  limit  to  the  depth  of hierarchies that can be
       removed. (If necessary, a utility `deltree' can be used to remove  very
       deep trees.)

GNU OPTIONS
       -d, --directory
              Remove directories with unlink(2) instead of rmdir(2), and don't
              require a directory to be empty  before  trying  to  unlink  it.
              Only  works if you have appropriate privileges.  Because unlink-
              ing a directory causes any files in  the  deleted  directory  to
              become  unreferenced, it is wise to fsck(8) the filesystem after
              doing this.

       -f, --force
              Ignore nonexistent files and never prompt the user.

       -i, --interactive
              Prompt whether to remove each  file.  If  the  response  is  not
              affirmative, the file is skipped.

       -r, -R, --recursive
              Remove the contents of directories recursively.

       -v, --verbose
              Print the name of each file before removing it.

GNU STANDARD OPTIONS
       --help Print  a usage message on standard output and exit successfully.

       --version
              Print version information on standard output, then exit success-
              fully.

       --     Terminate option list.

ENVIRONMENT
       The  variables  LANG, LC_ALL, LC_COLLATE, LC_CTYPE and LC_MESSAGES have
       the usual meaning.

CONFORMING TO
       POSIX 1003.2, except for the limitation on file hierarchy depth.

NOTES
       This page describes rm as found in  the  fileutils-4.0  package;  other
       versions  may  differ  slightly.   Mail  corrections  and  additions to
       aeb@cwi.nl.    Report   bugs   in    the    program    to    fileutils-
       bugs@gnu.ai.mit.edu.

       Sometimes  one wishes to recover deleted files.  It helps to have back-
       ups. It helps to use a trash directory, so that removed files are  only
       moved  to the trash. But actually removed files, although gone in prin-
       ciple, can sometimes be recovered.  For details for the  ext2  filesys-
       tem, see the Ext2fs-Undeletion mini-Howto.



GNU fileutils 4.0                   1998-11                              RM(1)