RM(1)                            User Commands                           RM(1)



NAME
       rm - remove files or directories

SYNOPSIS
       rm [OPTION]... FILE...

DESCRIPTION
       This  manual  page  documents  the  GNU version of rm.  rm removes each
       specified file.  By default, it does not remove directories.

       If a file is unwritable, the standard input is a tty,  and  the  -f  or
       --force  option is not given, rm prompts the user for whether to remove
       the file.  If the response does not begin with `y` or `Y`, the file  is
       skipped.

OPTIONS
       Remove (unlink) the FILE(s).

       -d, --directory
              unlink  FILE,  even  if  it is a non-empty directory (super-user
              only; this works only if your system

              supports `unlink` for nonempty directories)

       -f, --force
              ignore nonexistent files, never prompt

       -i, --interactive
              prompt before any removal

       --no-preserve-root do not treat `/` specially (the default)

       --preserve-root
              fail to operate recursively on `/`

       -r, -R, --recursive
              remove the contents of directories recursively

       -v, --verbose
              explain what is being done

       --help display this help and exit

       --version
              output version information and exit

       To remove a file whose name starts with a `-`, for example `-foo`,  use
       one of these commands:

              rm -- -foo

              rm ./-foo

       Note  that  if  you  use rm to remove a file, it is usually possible to
       recover the contents of that file.  If you want more assurance that the
       contents are truly unrecoverable, consider using shred.

AUTHOR
       Written  by Paul Rubin, David MacKenzie, Richard Stallman, and Jim Mey-
       ering.

REPORTING BUGS
       Report bugs to (bug-coreutils@gnu.org).

COPYRIGHT
       Copyright .© 2004 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
       This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.  There is
       NO  warranty;  not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
       PURPOSE.

SEE ALSO
       chattr(1), shred(1)

       The full documentation for rm is maintained as a  Texinfo  manual.   If
       the  info and rm programs are properly installed at your site, the com-
       mand

              info coreutils rm

       should give you access to the complete manual.



rm (coreutils) 5.2.1             October 2004                            RM(1)