RM (1)

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.

GNU rm , like every program that uses the getopt function to parse its arguments, lets you use the -- option to indicate that all following arguments are non-options. To remove a file called `-f' in the current directory, you could type either

rm -- -f

or

rm ./-f

The Unix rm program's use of a single `-' for this purpose predates the development of the getopt standard syntax.

OPTIONS

Remove (unlink) the FILE(s).

-d, --directory

unlink directory, even if non-empty (super-user only)

-f, --force

ignore nonexistent files, never prompt

-i, --interactive

prompt before any removal

-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

AUTHOR

Written by Paul Rubin, David MacKenzie, Richard Stallman, and Jim Meyering.

REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs to <bug-fileutils@gnu.org>.

COPYRIGHT

Copyright \(co 1999 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

The full documentation for rm is maintained as a Texinfo manual If the info and rm programs are properly installed at your site the command
info rm

should give you access to the complete manual