


RM(1)		    UNIX Programmer's Manual		    RM(1)



NAME
     rm, rmdir	- remove (unlink) files or directories

SYNOPSIS
     rm [ -f ] [ -r ] [ -i ] [ - ] file ...

     rmdir dir ...

DESCRIPTION
     _R_m removes the entries for one or more files from a direc-
     tory.  If an entry was the last link to the file, the file
     is destroyed.  Removal of a file requires write permission
     in its directory, but neither read nor write permission on
     the file itself.

     If a file has no write permission and the standard input is
     a terminal, its permissions are printed and a line is read
     from the standard input.  If that line begins with `y' the
     file is deleted, otherwise the file remains.  No questions
     are asked and no errors are reported when the -f (force)
     option is given.

     If a designated file is a directory, an error comment is
     printed unless the optional argument -r has been used.  In
     that case, _r_m recursively deletes the entire contents of the
     specified directory, and the directory itself.

     If the -i (interactive) option is in effect, _r_m asks whether
     to delete each file, and, under -r, whether to examine each
     directory.

     The null option - indicates that all the arguments following
     it are to be treated as file names.  This allows the specif-
     ication of file names starting with a minus.

     _R_m_d_i_r removes entries for the named directories, which must
     be empty.

SEE ALSO
     rm(1), unlink(2), rmdir(2)















Printed 11/26/99	 April 29, 1985                         1



