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.

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

To remove a file whose name starts with a `-', for example `-foo', use one of these commands:

    ../src/rm -- -foo ../src/rm ./-foo

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

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

COPYRIGHT
Copyright © 2000 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.