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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 $
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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.
87 This is a far less intrusive option than
89 yet provides almost the same level of protection against mistakes.
91 Overwrite regular files before deleting them.
92 Files are overwritten three times, first with the byte pattern 0xff,
93 then 0x00, and then 0xff again, before they are deleted.
95 Attempt to remove the file hierarchy rooted in each file argument.
103 option is specified, the user is prompted for confirmation before
104 each directory's contents are processed (as well as before the attempt
105 is made to remove the directory).
106 If the user does not respond affirmatively, the file hierarchy rooted in
107 that directory is skipped.
113 Be verbose when deleting files, showing them as they are removed.
115 Attempt to undelete the named files.
116 Currently, this option can only be used to recover
117 files covered by whiteouts.
122 utility removes symbolic links, not the files referenced by the links.
124 It is an error to attempt to remove the files
129 When the utility is called as
132 which must not be a directory,
134 No options may be supplied in this simple mode of operation,
137 operation on the passed argument.
141 utility exits 0 if all of the named files or file hierarchies were removed,
144 option was specified and all of the existing files or file hierarchies were
148 exits with a value >0.
154 to parse its arguments, which allows it to accept
157 option which will cause it to stop processing flag options at that
158 point. This will allow the removal of file names that begin
163 The same behavior can be obtained by using an absolute or relative
164 path reference. For example:
165 .Dl rm /home/user/-filename
178 option assumes that the underlying file system is a fixed-block file
180 UFS is a fixed-block file system, LFS is not.
181 In addition, only regular files are overwritten, other types of files
186 utility differs from historical implementations in that the
188 option only masks attempts to remove non-existent files instead of
189 masking a large variety of errors.
192 option is non-standard and its use in scripts is not recommended.
196 implementations prompted on the standard output,
197 not the standard error output.