The
rm command is used to delete files and directories. It is important to keep in mind that deleted files and directories do not go into a "trash can" as with desktop-oriented operating systems. When a file is deleted with the rm command, it is almost always permanently gone.rm [OPTIONS] FILE
Follow Along
Use the following command to switch to the Documents directory:
sysadmin@localhost:~$ cd ~/Documents
Without any options, the rm command is typically used to remove regular files:
sysadmin@localhost:~/Documents$ rm linux.txt sysadmin@localhost:~/Documents$ ls linux.txt ls: cannot access linux.txt: No such file or directory
The rm command will ignore directories that it's asked to remove; to delete a directory, use a recursive option, either the -r or -R options. Just be careful since these options are "recursive", this will delete all files and all subdirectories:
sysadmin@localhost:~/Documents$ rm Work rm: cannot remove 'Work': Is a directory sysadmin@localhost:~/Documents$ rm -r Work sysadmin@localhost:~/Documents$ ls Work ls: cannot access Work: No such file or directory
Warning
The rm command removes files permanently. To repeat the examples above, reset the terminal using the reset button.
Consider This
Permissions can have an impact on file management commands, such as the rm command.
To delete a file within a directory, a user must have write and execute permission on a directory. Regular users typically only have this type of permission in their home directory and its subdirectories.
