This guide explains how to delete files and directories on a Linux system using command-line tools.
Deleting Files:
1. Open a terminal.
To delete a file, use the rm command followed by the file name:
rm filename
This will delete the specified file. If you want to delete multiple files at once, list the files separated by spaces:
rm file1 file2 file3
To delete a file without being prompted for confirmation, use the -f (force) option:
rm -f filename
2. Deleting Directories
To delete an empty directory, use the rmdir command:
rmdir directoryname
To delete a directory and its contents, use the rm command with the -r (recursive) option:
rm -r directoryname
This will remove the directory and all files/subdirectories within it. If you don’t want to prompted for confirmation, add the -f flag:
rm -rf directoryname
Warning: Be cautious when using rm -rf, as it will permanently delete files and directories without confirmation.
3. Additional Options:
Interactive Deletion: Add the -i option to prompted before each file or directory is deleted:
rm -ri directoryname
Verbose Output: Use the -v option to see detailed output of what is being deleted:
rm -rv directoryname
And that’s it! We sincerely hope you enjoyed our article. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our support team if you need further help.
Read Also: How to Use FTP to Create, Edit, and Remove Files.