How do I delete a directory?

Xs1t0ry · 2008-02-07 00:27:06

Hi

I tried using

rm ./directory

to delete some directory and it won't let me! It says it can't delete directories. This sounds weird so I thought I would ask if this is true. The directory has 3 files in it and it is not critical. I am logged in as root

Advice?

synorgy · 2008-02-07 00:28:18

delete it recursively with

rm -r ./directory

Misfit138 · 2008-02-07 00:30:29

I could give you the answer...but try this first:

man rm

If you still can't figure it out, post back.

_adam_ · 2008-02-07 00:36:22

see also ``rmdir"

Xs1t0ry · 2008-02-07 00:57:48

Thanks for the replies. rmdir worked as long as I deleted all the files in the directory first. Is there a way to just force it to all be deleted? Maybe rmdir -f? lol

Also, can you string together files to be deleted?

ie. rm /a /b /c
would delete files a, b and c?

loserMcloser · 2008-02-07 01:10:33

rm -rf directory

fwojciec · 2008-02-07 01:11:57

Xs1t0ry wrote:

Thanks for the replies. rmdir worked as long as I deleted all the files in the directory first. Is there a way to just force it to all be deleted? Maybe rmdir -f? lol

The best thing to do is to either use "man [command]" or "[command] --help" to learn about syntax and available options and switches. Having said that, I never use rmdir, but "rm -r" deletes the directory and everything inside it.

Xs1t0ry wrote:

Also, can you string together files to be deleted?
ie. rm /a /b /c
would delete files a, b and c?

Yes.

loserMcloser · 2008-02-07 01:13:41

Xs1t0ry wrote:

ie. rm /a /b /c
would delete files a, b and c?

Yup, try it and see!

If you're afraid of experimenting with rm, use "rm -i" and it will ask you "are you sure" for each file it thinks you asked it to delete.

_adam_ · 2008-02-07 01:41:10

a good thing to do is also put

alias rm='rm -i'

in your ~/.bashrc

It might be a pain in the ass after a while, but one day it might just save your ass

Xs1t0ry · 2008-02-07 02:47:17

Thanks, I will!

alex_anthony · 2008-02-07 18:17:10

and if you want to delete multiple files, remember wildcards
e.g.
rm /some/directory/*
or
rm /picture/directory/PIC????

schivmeister · 2008-02-08 01:08:45

rm --help

tells you

-r, -R, --recursive   remove directories and their contents recursively

but of course, it's not necessarily understandable by everyone what "recursive" means. It may well be a scary thing. But then you must not have been using Linux for long, in which case I wish you luck and joy in using Arch.

Jokes aside, add the -r option to any alias for rm. Or for a fun way of life

# nano /usr/bin/delete

then paste in

#!/bin/bash
# /usr/bin/delete: Simple AND stupid trasher

date=$(date +%d-%m-%y)

if [ ! -d ${HOME}/.trash/$date ]; then
  mkdir -p ${HOME}/.trash/$date
fi

for i in $@; do
  mv $i ${HOME}/.trash/$date
done
}

and then

# chmod 755 /usr/bin/delete

and you may

delete file directory whatever whenever

and the files will be in ~/.trash waiting for you to

for i in `ls -a1 --color=never ${HOME}/.trash`; do rm -rIv $i; done

one fine day Except if both a file and directory have the same names it will not work. And so, it's stupid. But i loike.

Last edited by schivmeister (2008-02-08 01:19:54)

rson451 · 2008-02-08 03:32:26

_adam_ wrote:

a good thing to do is also put
alias rm='rm -i'
in your ~/.bashrc
It might be a pain in the ass after a while, but one day it might just save your ass

this is a really bad idea. sure, it will save your ass on your system, but what if you are ssh'd into a system and for whatever reason that alias isn't set. you will be expecting it and screw yourself over.

codemac · 2008-02-08 05:11:22

Just a heads up here.

If you didn't know how to delete a directory... there is a small chance that ArchLinux is not the right distro for you to learn linux on. You could really hurt data/etc. I don't want to stop you from using it if you really want to, I'm just sayin' it so I can say toldyaso later.

pyther · 2008-02-09 00:37:42

^^
You got to learn some how, but if you have important information make sure you backup and being willing to accept your possible mistakes.

Arch Linux

#1 2008-02-07 00:27:06

How do I delete a directory?

#2 2008-02-07 00:28:18

Re: How do I delete a directory?

#3 2008-02-07 00:30:29

Re: How do I delete a directory?

#4 2008-02-07 00:36:22

Re: How do I delete a directory?

#5 2008-02-07 00:57:48

Re: How do I delete a directory?

#6 2008-02-07 01:10:33

Re: How do I delete a directory?

#7 2008-02-07 01:11:57

Re: How do I delete a directory?

#8 2008-02-07 01:13:41

Re: How do I delete a directory?

#9 2008-02-07 01:41:10

Re: How do I delete a directory?

#10 2008-02-07 02:47:17

Re: How do I delete a directory?

#11 2008-02-07 18:17:10

Re: How do I delete a directory?

#12 2008-02-08 01:08:45

Re: How do I delete a directory?

#13 2008-02-08 03:32:26

Re: How do I delete a directory?

#14 2008-02-08 05:11:22

Re: How do I delete a directory?

#15 2008-02-09 00:37:42

Re: How do I delete a directory?

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