Practical Linux

Deleting Files and Directories

Removing files and directories is another common task when using Linux and should be performed with care. Deleted files and directories are irrevocably lost. This is a great reason to always maintain backups of important files or directories.

Deleting Files with the rm Command

The rm (remove) command is used to delete files and directories. You delete files by including a single filename or several filenames on the command line, like so:

$ rm sentmailJune1998 sentmailJuly1998 sentmailAugust1998

Use wildcards to delete multiple files:

$ rm *1998

The rm command with the -r (recursive) can also be used to delete files within a specified directory. If you attempt to delete a directory without this option, the rm