Ubuntu/Debian: Delete Files or Directories

osetc @ October 18, 2018 UBUNTU LINUX

This post will guide you how to delete or remove files on your Ubuntu/Debian Linux. How do I remove directories under your Ubuntu/Debian Linux. How to quickly delete a file under a directory in Ubuntu/Debian Linux.

Delete a Files On Ubuntu/Debian

You need to user the rm command to remove files on Ubuntu/Debian linux. Assuming that you want to delete a file called ubuntutmp.txt under /myfio directory, you just need to execute the rm command with the file name that you want to remove in command line interface of your Ubuntu/Debian system.

Just do the following steps:

#1 open a terminal or command line interface on your Ubuntu/Debian Linux

#2 type the following command to remove ubuntutmp.txt file

$ sudo rm ubuntutmp.txt

Delete Multiple Files on Ubuntu/Debian

If you want to remove multiple files on a directory, you can can use the rm command to achieve it. you just need to pass the file names to rm command and separated by space. For example, you want to delete two files under the /mylinux directory, type the following command:

$ sudo rm myubuntu1.txt myubuntu2.txt

Note: before removing the files, you need to change the current directory to /mylinux directory. type:

$ cd /mylinux

or you can also use the absolute path while you delete file, type:

$ sudo rm /mylinux/myubunt1.txt /mylinux/myubuntu2.txt

Confirm each file before removal on Ubuntu/Debian

if you want to get the confirmation for each file while removing, you can use the rm command with -i option, type:

$ sudo rm -i myubuntu.txt

Outputs:

[osetc@osetc_x8664 ~]$ sudo rm -i myubuntu.txt
rm: remove regular empty file ‘myubuntu.txt’? y
[osetc@osetc_x8664 ~]$

Show report of each file removed

if you want to get the report of each file removed, you need to use the rm command with -v option, type:

$ sudo rm -v myubuntu.txt

outputs:

[osetc@osetc_x8664 ~]$ sudo rm -v myubuntu.txt
rm: remove regular empty file ‘myubuntu.txt’? y
removed ‘myubuntu.txt’

Remove Directory on Ubuntu/Debian

if you want to use the rm command to remove a directory , you need to use the -d option, type:

$ rm -d dubuntu

Outputs:

[osetc@osetc_x8664 ~]$ sudo rm dubuntu
rm: cannot remove ‘dubuntu’: Is a directory


[osetc@osetc_x8664 ~]$ sudo rm -d dubuntu
rm: remove directory ‘dubuntu’? y

Remove all files under a directory(Recursive) on Ubuntu/Debian

if you want to remove a directory and its files or its sub-directory, and you need to use the rm command with -rf option, type:

$ sudo rm -rf myubuntu

if you want to get more information about rm command, you can directory run “rm –help” or “man rm” command.
type:

$ rm --help