rm(1)									 rm(1)

Name
       rm, rmdir - remove (unlink) files or directories

Syntax
       rm [-f] [-r] [-i] [-] file-or-directory-name...
       rmdir directory-name...

Description
       The command removes the entries for one or more files from a directory.
       If there are no links to the file then the file is destroyed.  For fur‐
       ther information, see

       The  command  removes  entries for the named directories, which must be
       empty.  If they are not empty, the directories remain, and displays  an
       error message (see EXAMPLES).

       To  remove a file, you must have write permission in its directory, but
       you do not need read or write permission on the file itself.  When  you
       are  using from a terminal, and you do not have write permission on the
       file, the command asks for confirmation before destroying the file.

       If input is redirected from the standard input device (your  terminal),
       then  checks to ensure that input is not coming from your terminal.  If
       not, sets the -f option,	 which	overrides  the	file  protection,  and
       removes	the  files  silently, regardless of what you have specified in
       the file redirected as input to See EXAMPLES.

Options
       -    Specifies that the named files have names beginning with  a	 minus
	    (for example ).

       -f   Forces  the	 removal of file or directory without first requesting
	    confirmation.  Only system or usage messages are displayed.

       -i   Prompts for yes or no response before removing each	 entry.	  Does
	    not	 ask  when combined with the -f option.	 If you type a y, fol‐
	    lowed by any combination of characters, a yes response is assumed.

       -r   Recursively removes all entries from the specified directory  and,
	    then,  removes the entry for that directory from its parent direc‐
	    tory.

Examples
       The following example shows how to remove a file in your current	 work‐
       ing directory.
       rm myfile
       This  example  shows  use of the null option to remove a file beginning
       with a minus sign.
       rm - -gorp
       This example shows how a confirmation is requested  for	removal	 of  a
       file for which you do not have write permission.
       rm testfile
       rm: override protection 400 for testfile? y
       This  example  shows  how the combination of -i and -r options lets you
       examine all the files in a directory  before  removing  them.   In  the
       example,	 mydirectory  is  a subdirectory of the current working direc‐
       tory.  Note that the last question requests confirmation before	remov‐
       ing  the	 directory  itself.  Although the user types ``y'', requesting
       removal of the directory, the command does not allow this, because  the
       directory  is not empty; the user typed ``n'' to the question about the
       file file2 , so file2 was not removed.
       rm -ir mydirectory
       rm: remove mydirectory/file1? y
       rm: remove mydirectory/file2? n
	     .
	     .
	     .
       rm: remove mydirectory? y
       rm: mydirectory: Directory not empty
       This example illustrates that overrides file protection when  input  is
       redirected  from	 the  standard	input device.  The user creates a file
       named ``alfie'', with a read-only file protection.  The user then  cre‐
       ates  a file named ``ans'' to contain the character ``n''.  The command
       following destroys the file ``alfie'', even though the redirected input
       file requested no deletion.
       cat > alfie
       hello
       ^d
       chmod 444 alfie
       cat > ans
       n
       ^d
       rm < ans alfie

See Also
       unlink(2)

									 rm(1)

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