SYNOPSIS

       rm [OPTION]... FILE...

DESCRIPTION

       This  manual  page  documents  the  GNU version of rm.  rm removes each
       specified file.  By default, it does not remove directories.

       If the -I or --interactive=once option is given,  and  there  are  more
       than  three  files  or  the  -r,  -R, or --recursive are given, then rm
       prompts the user for whether to proceed with the entire operation.   If
       the response is not affirmative, the entire command is aborted.

       Otherwise,  if  a file is unwritable, standard input is a terminal, and
       the -f or --force  option  is  not  given,  or  the  -i  or  --interac-
       tive=always  option is given, rm prompts the user for whether to remove
       the file.  If the response is not affirmative, the file is skipped.

OPTIONS

       Remove (unlink) the FILE(s).

       -f, --force
              ignore nonexistent files, never prompt

       -i     prompt before every removal

       -I     prompt once before removing  more  than  three  files,  or  when
              removing  recursively.  Less intrusive than -i, while still giv-
              ing protection against most mistakes

       --interactive[=WHEN]
              prompt according to WHEN: never,  once  (-I),  or  always  (-i).
              Without WHEN, prompt always

       --one-file-system
              when  removing  a hierarchy recursively, skip any directory that
              is on a file system different from  that  of  the  corresponding
              command line argument

       --no-preserve-root
              do not treat `/' specially

       --preserve-root
              do not remove `/' (default)

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

       -v, --verbose
              explain what is being done

       --help display this help and exit

       Note that if you use rm to remove a file, it  is  usually  possible  to
       recover the contents of that file.  If you want more assurance that the
       contents are truly unrecoverable, consider using shred.

AUTHOR

       Written by Paul Rubin, David MacKenzie, Richard Stallman, and Jim  Mey-
       ering.

REPORTING BUGS

       Report bugs to <bug-coreutils@gnu.org>.

COPYRIGHT

       Copyright (C) 2007 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
       This  is  free  software.   You may redistribute copies of it under the
       terms      of      the      GNU      General       Public       License
       <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.   There  is NO WARRANTY, to the
       extent permitted by law.

SEE ALSO

       unlink(1), unlink(2), chattr(1), shred(1)

       The full documentation for rm is maintained as a  Texinfo  manual.   If
       the  info and rm programs are properly installed at your site, the com-
       mand

              info rm

       should give you access to the complete manual.



GNU coreutils 6.9                 March 2007                             RM(1)