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rm(1)

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NAME    [Toc]    [Back]

       rm - Removes (unlinks) files or directories

SYNOPSIS    [Toc]    [Back]

       rm [-efirR] [--] file...

STANDARDS    [Toc]    [Back]

       Interfaces  documented  on  this reference page conform to
       industry standards as follows:

       rm: XCU5.0

       Refer to the standards(5) reference page for more information
 about industry standards and associated tags.

OPTIONS    [Toc]    [Back]

       [Tru64 UNIX]  Displays a message after deleting each file.
       Does not prompt before removing a file that does not  have
       write  permission  set, and does not display an error message
 if a specified file does not exist.  If  you  specify
       both -f and -i when invoking rm, the option that is specified
 last on the command line takes effect.   Prompts  you
       before deleting each file (interactive). When you use both
       -i and -r, rm also prompts for removing  each  file,  then
       the  directory. If you specify both -f and -i with rm, the
       last one on the command line takes effect.  Permits recursive
  removal of directories and their contents (for cases
       where file is a directory).  Permits recursive removal  of
       directories  and their contents (for cases where file is a
       directory, same as -r).  [Tru64 UNIX]  Indicates that  all
       arguments  following  it  are to be treated as file names.
       This allows you to specify file names starting  with  a  -
       (dash).

OPERANDS    [Toc]    [Back]

       Path name of a file or directory to be removed.

DESCRIPTION    [Toc]    [Back]

       The rm command removes the entries for the specified files
       from a directory.

       If file is of the directory type: If you  specify  neither
       -R  or  -r,  rm  writes  a  diagnostic message to standard
       error, does nothing further with file, and goes on to  any
       remaining files.  If -f is not specified and either of the
       following is true, rm writes a prompt  to  standard  error
       and  reads  a line from standard input: The permissions of
       file do not permit writing and standard input is a  terminal
 The -i option is specified

              If  the  response  is  affirmative, rm does nothing
              further with the current file and goes  on  to  any
              remaining files.  (The same actions are taken if -f
              is specified and  file  is  not  of  the  directory
              type.)   For  each  entry  contained in file, other
              than (dot) or (dot dot)  entries,  the  four  steps
              listed here (1-3) are taken with the entry as if it
              were a file argument.

       [Tru64 UNIX]  If an entry is the last link to a  file,  it
       is  destroyed.  To  remove  a  file,  you  must have write
       permission for its parent directory, but need neither read
       nor  write  permission for the file itself.  If the sticky
       bit on the directory is set, you must be the owner of  the
       file or superuser.

       If  a file has no write permission and standard input is a
       terminal or the -i option is specified,  rm  displays  the
       file permission code and reads a line from standard input.
       If that line begins with y, or the locale's equivalent  of
       a  y,  rm  deletes  the file.  If the response is anything
       else, rm does nothing to that file and continues with  the
       next specified file.

       The  LC_MESSAGES  variable determines the locale's equivalent
 of y or n (for yes/no queries).

       The -i option causes rm to prompt and  read  the  standard
       input  even  if  the standard input is not a terminal.  In
       the absence of -i, however, the mode prompting is not done
       when the standard input is not a terminal.

RESTRICTIONS    [Toc]    [Back]

       It  is an error to specify . (dot) or ..  (dot dot) as the
       final path name component of file, although these  entries
       may be removed with the -r or -R options.

EXIT STATUS    [Toc]    [Back]

       The  following  exit values are returned: If the -f option
       was not specified, all the named  directory  entries  were
       removed;  otherwise,  all  the  existing  named  directory
       entries were removed.  An error occurred.

EXAMPLES    [Toc]    [Back]

       To delete a file, enter: rm myfile

              If there is another link to  this  file,  then  the
              file   remains  under  that  name,  but  myfile  is
              removed. If myfile  is  the  only  link,  the  file
              itself  is  deleted.   To  delete  a file silently,
              enter: rm -f core

              This removes core without asking any  questions  or
              displaying  any  error  messages.  This is normally
              used in shell procedures.   It  prevents  confusing
              messages  from  being displayed when deleting files
              that may or may not exist.  To delete files  interactively,
 enter: rm -i mydir/*

              After each file name is displayed, enter the affirmative
 response to remove the file; press  <Return>
              (or  anything  other than the affirmative response)
              to retain the file.  To  delete  a  directory  tree
              interactively, enter: rm -ir manual

              This recursively removes the contents of all subdirectories
 of manual, then  removes  manual  itself,
              asking  if  you want to remove each file and directory.









ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES    [Toc]    [Back]

       The following environment variables affect  the  execution
       of  rm: Provides a default value for the internationalization
 variables that are unset or null. If LANG is unset or
       null,  the  corresponding value from the default locale is
       used.  If any of the internationalization  variables  contain
 an invalid setting, the utility behaves as if none of
       the variables had been defined.  If  set  to  a  non-empty
       string value, overrides the values of all the other internationalization
 variables.  Determines the locale for  the
       behavior  of ranges, equivalence classes, and multicharacter
  collating  elements  used  in  the  extended  regular
       expression  defined  for the yesexpr locale keyword in the
       LC_MESSAGES  category.   Determines  the  locale  for  the
       interpretation of sequences of bytes of text data as characters
 (for example, single-byte as opposed  to  multibyte
       characters in arguments).

              Determines  the  behavior  of  character classes in
              regular expressions used in  the  extended  regular
              espression  defined  for the yesexpr locale keyword
              in the LC_MESSAGES category.  Determines the locale
              for  the format and contents of diagnostic messages
              written to standard error.  Determines the location
              of message catalogues for the processing of LC_MESSAGES.

SEE ALSO    [Toc]    [Back]

      
      
       Commands:  ln(1), mv(1), rmdir(1)

       Functions:  rmdir(2), unlink(2), remove(3)

       Standards:  standards(5)



                                                            rm(1)
[ Back ]
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