A Comprehensive Guide on The RM Command in Linux

Using the rm Command in Linux

The rm command (short for remove) is a Unix / Linux command for deleting files from the file system. It helps users to remove files and directories from the command line. Below, we discuss how to use the rm command, its arguments, as well as some examples of how it can be used.

Syntax

The syntax for this command is as follows:

rm [OPTIONS] FILE…

Options

Below are some of the common options available when using the rm command:

• -f – This option forces the removal of the target file, even if the user does not have write permission on the directory that contains the target.
• -r – When this option is given, rm recursively removes the contents of a directory and its subdirectories.
• -v – This option prints out information about what is being deleted.

Examples

Here are some examples of how the rm command can be used:

• To delete a single file named "test.txt": rm test.txt
• To delete multiple files at once: rm file1.txt file2.txt file3.txt
• To delete a directory and all of its contents: rm -rf my_directory/

It is important to note that, in all cases, the rm command will delete files and directories permanently, so use caution when using it!