rm Command in Linux: Remove Files and Directories

The rm command removes files and directories from the filesystem. It is one of the most essential Linux commands — and one of the most dangerous, since deleted files cannot be easily recovered.

This guide explains how to use rm through practical examples covering the most common options.

rm Command Syntax #

The general syntax for the rm command is:

rm [OPTIONS] FILE...

By default, rm does not remove directories and does not prompt for confirmation before deleting files.

Remove a Single File #

To delete a single file, pass the filename as an argument:

rm filename

If the file is not write-protected, it is removed without any output. On success, rm returns exit code zero.

If you do not have the required permissions on the parent directory (and in some cases due to sticky-bit rules), you will get an “Operation not permitted” error.

When removing a write-protected file, rm prompts for confirmation:

rm: remove write-protected regular empty file 'filename'?

Type y and press Enter to confirm.

To skip the prompt and remove files without confirmation, use the -f (force) option:

rm -f filename

-f also silently ignores nonexistent files instead of returning an error.

To see each file as it is removed, use the -v (verbose) option:

rm -v filename

removed 'filename'

Remove Multiple Files #

Unlike the unlink command, rm accepts multiple filenames at once:

rm filename1 filename2 filename3

You can also use shell glob patterns to match multiple files. For example, to remove all .png files in the current directory:

rm *.png

Before running rm with a glob pattern, use ls to preview which files will be matched:

ls *.png

Remove Directories #

To remove one or more empty directories, use the -d option:

rm -d dirname

rm -d is functionally identical to the rmdir command.

To remove a non-empty directory and all of its contents recursively, use the -r (recursive) option:

rm -r dirname

This deletes the directory and everything inside it — all files, subdirectories, and symbolic links.

Prompt Before Removal #

The -i option prompts for confirmation before removing each file:

rm -i filename1 filename2

rm: remove regular empty file 'filename1'?
rm: remove regular empty file 'filename2'?

Type y and press Enter to confirm each file.

When removing more than three files or recursively removing a directory, use the -I option (uppercase) to get a single prompt for the entire operation instead of one per file:

rm -I filename1 filename2 filename3 filename4

rm: remove 4 arguments?

rm -rf #

Combining -r and -f removes a directory and all its contents without any prompts, even if files inside are write-protected:

rm -rf dirname

Remove Files with Names Starting with a Dash #

Filenames that begin with - are interpreted as options by rm. To remove such a file, use -- to signal the end of options:

rm -- -filename

Alternatively, prefix the path with ./:

rm ./-filename

Quick Reference #

For a printable quick reference, see the rm cheatsheet .

Troubleshooting #

Operation not permitted
You do not have write permission on the parent directory. Check permissions with ls -ld on the parent directory, and use sudo if needed.

cannot remove 'dirname': Is a directory
rm requires the -r flag to remove directories. Run rm -r dirname instead.

cannot remove 'file': No such file or directory
The file does not exist or the path is incorrect. Use ls to verify the path. To suppress this error in scripts, use rm -f.

Write-protected file is not removed
Without -f, rm prompts before removing write-protected files. Either type y to confirm, or use rm -f to skip the prompt.

FAQ #

Can I recover a file deleted with rm?
Not easily. rm removes the filesystem entry immediately without moving the file to a trash folder. Recovery may be possible with tools like extundelete or testdisk on ext4, but success depends on whether the disk blocks have been overwritten. For safer deletion, use a trash utility such as trash-cli (trash file) which moves files to ~/.local/share/Trash.

What is the difference between rm and unlink?
unlink removes a single file by calling the unlink system call directly. rm is a higher-level utility that supports multiple files, directories, glob patterns, and interactive prompting.

How do I remove all files in a directory without removing the directory itself?
Use a glob: rm -rf dirname/*. This removes all contents but leaves the empty directory in place.

Is rm -rf / dangerous?
Yes. It attempts to delete everything on the filesystem. Modern Linux systems block it by default with a --preserve-root safeguard, but variations like rm -rf /* or specifying a mounted root path are not always protected. Never run this command.

How do I delete files older than N days?
Use the find command: find /path -type f -mtime +30 -delete removes files not modified in the last 30 days.

Conclusion #

The rm command removes files and directories permanently. Use -r for recursive removal, -f to skip prompts, and -i or -I for interactive confirmation. Always verify the path before running rm -rf, as the operation cannot be undone.

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below.

About the authors

Dejan Panovski

Dejan Panovski is the founder of Linuxize, an RHCSA-certified Linux system administrator and DevOps engineer based in Skopje, Macedonia. Author of 800+ Linux tutorials with 20+ years of experience turning complex Linux tasks into clear, reliable guides.

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