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35 .\" @(#)rm.1 8.5 (Berkeley) 12/5/94
36 .\" $FreeBSD: src/bin/rm/rm.1,v 1.19.2.6 2003/02/04 22:10:42 trhodes Exp $
37 .\" $DragonFly: src/bin/rm/rm.1,v 1.7 2006/02/17 19:33:31 swildner Exp $
45 .Nd remove directory entries
55 utility attempts to remove the non-directory type files specified on the
57 If the permissions of the file do not permit writing, and the standard
58 input device is a terminal, the user is prompted (on the standard error
59 output) for confirmation.
61 The options are as follows:
64 Attempt to remove directories as well as other types of files.
66 Attempt to remove the files without prompting for confirmation,
67 regardless of the file's permissions.
68 If the file does not exist, do not display a diagnostic message or modify
69 the exit status to reflect an error.
72 option overrides any previous
76 Request confirmation before attempting to remove each file, regardless of
77 the file's permissions, or whether or not the standard input device is a
81 option overrides any previous
85 Request confirmation once if more than three files are being removed or if a
86 directory is being recursively removed. This option only applies when the
88 utility is run in the foreground.
89 This is a far less intrusive option than
91 yet provides almost the same level of protection against mistakes.
93 Overwrite regular files before deleting them.
94 Files are overwritten three times, first with the byte pattern 0xff,
95 then 0x00, and then 0xff again, before they are deleted.
97 Attempt to remove the file hierarchy rooted in each file argument.
105 option is specified, the user is prompted for confirmation before
106 each directory's contents are processed (as well as before the attempt
107 is made to remove the directory).
108 If the user does not respond affirmatively, the file hierarchy rooted in
109 that directory is skipped.
115 Be verbose when deleting files, showing them as they are removed.
117 Attempt to undelete the named files.
118 Currently, this option can only be used to recover
119 files covered by whiteouts.
124 utility removes symbolic links, not the files referenced by the links.
126 It is an error to attempt to remove the files
131 When the utility is called as
134 which must not be a directory,
136 No options may be supplied in this simple mode of operation,
139 operation on the passed argument.
143 utility exits 0 if all of the named files or file hierarchies were removed,
146 option was specified and all of the existing files or file hierarchies were
150 exits with a value >0.
156 to parse its arguments, which allows it to accept
159 option which will cause it to stop processing flag options at that
160 point. This will allow the removal of file names that begin
165 The same behavior can be obtained by using an absolute or relative
166 path reference. For example:
167 .Dl rm /home/user/-filename
172 utility differs from historical implementations in that the
174 option only masks attempts to remove non-existent files instead of
175 masking a large variety of errors.
178 option is non-standard and its use in scripts is not recommended.
182 implementations prompted on the standard output,
183 not the standard error output.
210 option assumes that the underlying file system is a fixed-block file
212 UFS is a fixed-block file system, LFS is not.
213 In addition, only regular files are overwritten, other types of files