rm Command Guide

Basic Usage

rm deletes files permanently - there is no trash bin.

bash

# Remove a single file
rm file.txt

# Remove multiple files
rm file1.txt file2.txt file3.txt

# Remove with wildcard
rm *.tmp

Warning

Files deleted with rm are gone permanently. There is no "undo" or trash folder. Always double-check before pressing Enter.

Common Options

rm Options

-r, -R	Remove directories recursively
-i	Prompt before every removal
-I	Prompt once before removing many files
-f	Force removal without prompting
-v	Verbose output
-d	Remove empty directories

Removing Directories

bash

# Remove empty directory
rmdir empty_dir/
# or
rm -d empty_dir/

# Remove directory and contents
rm -r directory/

# Remove without prompting (use carefully!)
rm -rf directory/

Warning

rm -rf is extremely dangerous. Never run rm -rf / or rm -rf ~. Always verify the path first.

Safe Deletion Practices

Interactive mode

bash

# Ask before each file
rm -i *.txt

# Ask once for multiple files
rm -I *.log

Preview before deleting

bash

# List files first
ls *.tmp

# Then delete
rm *.tmp

Use verbose mode

bash

rm -rv old_files/

Create an alias for safety

bash

# Add to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc
alias rm='rm -i'

# When you need to force, use \rm
\rm -rf directory/

Handling Special Filenames

bash

# File starting with dash
rm -- -filename.txt
rm ./-filename.txt

# File with spaces
rm "file with spaces.txt"
rm file\ with\ spaces.txt

# File with special characters
rm 'file!@#$%.txt'

Practical Examples

Clean up temporary files

bash

rm -f *.tmp *.bak *~

Remove files older than 30 days

bash

find /tmp -type f -mtime +30 -delete

Remove empty directories

bash

find . -type d -empty -delete

Remove all except certain files

bash

# Using extended globbing (bash)
shopt -s extglob
rm !(keep.txt|important.txt)

# Or using find
find . -maxdepth 1 -type f ! -name "keep.txt" -delete

Securely delete sensitive files

bash

# Overwrite before deleting
shred -vfz -n 5 sensitive_file.txt

# Then remove
rm sensitive_file.txt

Alternatives to rm

Move to trash instead

bash

# Install trash-cli
sudo apt install trash-cli

# Use trash instead of rm
trash-put file.txt

# List trashed files
trash-list

# Restore from trash
trash-restore

Tip

Consider using trash-cli for a safer alternative that moves files to trash instead of permanently deleting.

Common Dangerous Commands to Avoid

bash

# NEVER run these commands:
rm -rf /                  # Deletes entire system
rm -rf ~                  # Deletes home directory
rm -rf /*                 # Same as above
rm -rf .                  # Deletes current directory
rm -rf $UNDEFINED_VAR/*   # If var is empty, deletes /

Summary

rm is powerful but dangerous. Key takeaways:

Use rm -i for interactive confirmation
Use rm -r for directories
Always verify paths before using rm -rf
Preview with ls before deleting
Consider trash-cli as a safer alternative

Quick Reference

Basic

Directories

Safety

Special

Downloadable Image Preview

Basic Usage

Common Options

rm Options

Removing Directories

Safe Deletion Practices

Interactive mode

Preview before deleting

Use verbose mode

Create an alias for safety

Handling Special Filenames

Practical Examples

Clean up temporary files

Remove files older than 30 days

Remove empty directories

Remove all except certain files

Securely delete sensitive files

Alternatives to rm

Move to trash instead

Common Dangerous Commands to Avoid

Summary

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cp Command Guide

mv Command Guide

mkdir Command Guide