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 .

COPYRIGHT
       Copyright (C) 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 PARTICU-
       LAR 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		 August 2006				RM(1)

UNIX/Linux commands referenced on this page:

1. file
2. tty
3. unlink
4. display
5. free
6. as
7. info
8. at