# rm

## 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 the _-I_ or _--interactive=once_ option is given, and there are
           more than three files or the _-r_ , _-R_ , or _--recursive_ are given,
           then **rm** prompts the user for whether to proceed with the entire
           operation.  If the response is not affirmative, the entire command
           is aborted.
    
           Otherwise, if a file is unwritable, standard input is a terminal,
           and the _-f_ or _--force_ option is not given, or the _-i_ or
           _--interactive=always_ option is given, **rm** prompts the user for
           whether to remove the file.  If the response is not affirmative,
           the file is skipped.
    


## OPTIONS



           Remove (unlink) the FILE(s).
    
           **-f** , **--force**
                  ignore nonexistent files and arguments, never prompt
    
           **-i** prompt before every removal
    
           **-I** prompt once before removing more than three files, or when
                  removing recursively; less intrusive than **-i** , while still
                  giving protection against most mistakes
    
           **--interactive**[=_WHEN_]
                  prompt according to WHEN: never, once (**-I**), or always (**-i**);
                  without WHEN, prompt always
    
           **--one-file-system**
                  when removing a hierarchy recursively, skip any directory
                  that is on a file system different from that of the
                  corresponding command line argument
    
           **--no-preserve-root**
                  do not treat '/' specially
    
           **--preserve-root**[=_all_]
                  do not remove '/' (default); with 'all', reject any command
                  line argument on a separate device from its parent
    
           **-r** , **-R** , **--recursive**
                  remove directories and their contents recursively
    
           **-d** , **--dir**
                  remove empty directories
    
           **-v** , **--verbose**
                  explain what is being done
    
           **--help** display this help and exit
    
           **--version**
                  output version information and exit
    
           By default, rm does not remove directories.  Use the **--recursive**
           (**-r** or **-R**) option to remove each listed directory, too, along with
           all of its contents.
    
           Any attempt to remove a file whose last file name component is '.'
           or '..'  is rejected with a diagnostic.
    
           To remove a file whose name starts with a '-', for example '-foo',
           use one of these commands:
    
                  rm **-- -foo**
    
                  rm ./-foo
    
           If you use rm to remove a file, it might be possible to recover
           some of its contents, given sufficient expertise and/or time.  For
           greater assurance that the contents are unrecoverable, consider
           using shred(1).
    


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