rm (ReMove (files)?): A command that will delete files, directories and links. See man rm for options, for recursive deletion use the -r tag (where everything underneath a directory is deleted as well). For deleting hidden files a special tag must be used (see man rm for more details).

Common Alias: "rm -i" is often aliased to "rm" so that the command is interactive -- you are prompted before each file is deleted. This is all well and good until you work on a Linux system where this alias has not been set up. You may want to develop a habit of checking that this alias is established on any new system (and user account) you work on.

The alias can be "overcome" in a few ways, one way is by specifying the complete path to the command, often /bin/rm.

Contributors

• JasoK - 20 Jan 2002
• RandyKramer - 21 Jan 2002
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