# rm — Delete Files and Directories > Practical guide to rm: delete files and directories, prompt safely with -i/-I, remove recursively with -rf, and avoid disasters like rm -rf /. Source: https://www.jpkc.com/db/en/cheatsheets/files-text/rm/ `rm` (remove) deletes files and directories from the filesystem – and it does so for good: unlike moving things to a trash bin, nothing is kept around, and deleted data cannot be recovered without a backup. Day to day you reach for `rm` to clear out temporary files, stale logs or entire project folders. Precisely because it is irreversible, it pays to know the safe variants: `rm -i` asks before each file, while `rm -I` warns once before large or recursive deletions. Take special care with `rm -rf` next to variables or glob patterns – an empty `$VAR` or a stray `/*` can wipe out whole systems. ## Basic Removal `rm ` — Remove a single file. ```bash rm temp.txt ``` `rm ` — Remove multiple files at once. ```bash rm old.log debug.log error.log ``` `rm *.tmp` — Remove all files matching a glob pattern. ```bash rm *.tmp ``` `rm -v ` — Verbose mode. Print each file as it is removed. ```bash rm -v *.log ``` ## Interactive & Safe Removal `rm -i ` — Interactive mode. Prompt for confirmation before each file. ```bash rm -i important-data.* ``` `rm -I ` — Prompt once before removing more than 3 files or when removing recursively. ```bash rm -I *.log ``` `rm --interactive=once ` — Same as -I. Prompt once for bulk removals. ```bash rm --interactive=once /tmp/session_* ``` `rm -f ` — Force removal. Never prompt and ignore nonexistent files. ```bash rm -f lockfile.pid ``` ## Directory Removal `rm -r ` — Remove a directory and all its contents recursively. ```bash rm -r ./old-project/ ``` `rm -rf ` — Force remove a directory recursively without prompts. Use with extreme caution. ```bash rm -rf ./build/ ``` `rm -ri ` — Remove a directory recursively with confirmation for each file. ```bash rm -ri ./unknown-folder/ ``` `rm -d ` — Remove an empty directory. Fails if the directory is not empty. ```bash rm -d ./empty-dir/ ``` `rmdir ` — Remove an empty directory (dedicated command, same as rm -d). ```bash rmdir ./empty-dir/ ``` `rmdir -p ` — Remove a directory and its empty parent directories. ```bash rmdir -p ./a/b/c/ ``` ## Safety Options `rm --preserve-root` — Refuse to operate recursively on /. This is the default behavior. ```bash rm -rf --preserve-root /some/path/ ``` `rm --preserve-root=all` — Additionally reject any argument that is a mount point. ```bash rm -rf --preserve-root=all /mnt/data/ ``` `rm --one-file-system -r ` — Skip directories on different filesystems during recursive removal. ```bash rm -rf --one-file-system /var/tmp/ ``` ## Special Cases `rm -- ` — Remove a file whose name starts with a dash. The -- signals end of options. ```bash rm -- -strange-filename.txt ``` `rm ./-` — Alternative: remove a dash-prefixed file by prepending ./ ```bash rm ./-strange-filename.txt ``` `rm -f ` — Force remove files with special characters in the name. ```bash rm -f 'file with spaces.txt' ``` `find -inum -delete` — Remove a file by its inode number. Last resort for unremovable filenames. ```bash ls -i; find . -inum 1234567 -delete ``` ## Find & Remove Patterns `find -name '' -delete` — Find and delete files by name pattern. Faster than -exec rm. ```bash find . -name '*.tmp' -delete ``` `find -name '' -type f -delete` — Delete only files (not directories) matching a pattern. ```bash find . -name '.DS_Store' -type f -delete ``` `find -empty -type d -delete` — Delete all empty directories within a tree. ```bash find ./project/ -empty -type d -delete ``` `find -mtime + -delete` — Delete files older than N days. ```bash find /var/log/ -name '*.log' -mtime +90 -delete ``` `find -size + -delete` — Delete files larger than a given size. ```bash find /tmp/ -size +100M -delete ``` `find -name '' -print -delete` — Print each file before deleting it (verification output). ```bash find . -name '*.bak' -print -delete ``` `find -name '' -print0 | xargs -0 rm -v` — Find and remove files safely with verbose output. Handles spaces in filenames. ```bash find . -name '*.cache' -print0 | xargs -0 rm -v ``` ## Safer Alternatives `mv /tmp/` — Move to /tmp instead of deleting. Files are cleaned on reboot. ```bash mv suspicious-file.dat /tmp/ ``` `trash-put ` — Move file to trash (trash-cli package). Can be recovered later. ```bash trash-put document.pdf ``` `trash-list` — List all files in the trash (trash-cli). ```bash trash-list ``` `trash-restore` — Interactively restore a file from the trash (trash-cli). ```bash trash-restore ``` `trash-empty` — Permanently empty the trash (trash-cli). ```bash trash-empty ``` `alias rm='rm -I'` — Shell alias to always prompt before bulk deletions. ```bash alias rm='rm -I' ``` ## Dangerous Commands to Avoid `rm -rf /` — NEVER RUN. Attempts to delete the entire filesystem. Blocked by --preserve-root default. ```bash # DO NOT RUN — destroys your entire system ``` `rm -rf /*` — NEVER RUN. Bypasses --preserve-root by expanding /* to individual paths. Destroys everything. ```bash # DO NOT RUN — the glob expansion bypasses root protection ``` `rm -rf $VARIABLE/` — DANGEROUS if variable is empty or unset. Expands to rm -rf / which deletes everything. ```bash # ALWAYS quote and check: rm -rf "${DIR:?Variable not set}/" ``` `rm -rf "${DIR:?}"/*` — Safe pattern. The :? causes the shell to abort with an error if DIR is empty or unset. ```bash DIR=/var/cache/app; rm -rf "${DIR:?Variable not set}"/* ``` ## Conclusion `rm` is powerful and final: there is no trash bin, and once data is gone it is gone unless you have a backup. For everyday use, `rm `, `rm -r ` and the `find … -delete` patterns cover most needs. Stay aware of the dangerous cases: `rm -rf` with an empty variable, a stray space before `/`, or a `/*` can erase an entire system. Two simple habits protect you – quote and guard variables with `"${DIR:?}"`, and set an `alias rm='rm -I'` so the shell prompts before bulk deletions. When you need recoverability, use `trash-cli` instead of `rm`. ## Further Reading - [GNU Coreutils: rm](https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/html_node/rm-invocation.html) – the official reference for every option - [rm(1) manual page](https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man1/rm.1.html) – the Linux man page with concise option descriptions ## Related Commands - [mv](https://www.jpkc.com/db/en/cheatsheets/files-text/mv/) – move or rename files instead of deleting them - [cp](https://www.jpkc.com/db/en/cheatsheets/files-text/cp/) – copy files and directories - [find](https://www.jpkc.com/db/en/cheatsheets/files-text/find/) – locate files and remove them selectively with -delete