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35 .\" @(#)rm.1 8.5 (Berkeley) 12/5/94
36 .\" $FreeBSD: src/bin/rm/rm.1,v 1.23 2001/07/15 07:49:05 dd Exp $
44 .Nd remove directory entries
54 utility attempts to remove the non-directory type files specified on the
56 If the permissions of the file do not permit writing, and the standard
57 input device is a terminal, the user is prompted (on the standard error
58 output) for confirmation.
60 The options are as follows:
63 Attempt to remove directories as well as other types of files.
65 Attempt to remove the files without prompting for confirmation,
66 regardless of the file's permissions.
67 If the file does not exist, do not display a diagnostic message or modify
68 the exit status to reflect an error.
71 option overrides any previous
75 Request confirmation before attempting to remove each file, regardless of
76 the file's permissions, or whether or not the standard input device is a
80 option overrides any previous
84 Overwrite regular files before deleting them.
85 Files are overwritten three times, first with the byte pattern 0xff,
86 then 0x00, and then 0xff again, before they are deleted.
88 Attempt to remove the file hierarchy rooted in each file argument.
96 option is specified, the user is prompted for confirmation before
97 each directory's contents are processed (as well as before the attempt
98 is made to remove the directory).
99 If the user does not respond affirmatively, the file hierarchy rooted in
100 that directory is skipped.
106 Be verbose when deleting files, showing them as they are removed.
108 Attempt to undelete the named files.
109 Currently, this option can only be used to recover
110 files covered by whiteouts.
115 utility removes symbolic links, not the files referenced by the links.
117 It is an error to attempt to remove the files
122 When the utility is called as
125 which must not be a directory,
127 No options may be supplied in this simple mode of operation,
130 operation on the passed argument.
134 utility exits 0 if all of the named files or file hierarchies were removed,
137 option was specified and all of the existing files or file hierarchies were
141 exits with a value >0.
147 to parse its arguments, which allows it to accept
150 option which will cause it to stop processing flag options at that
151 point. This will allow the removal of file names that begin
156 The same behavior can be obtained by using an absolute or relative
157 path reference. For example:
158 .Dl rm /home/user/-filename
170 option assumes that the underlying file system is a fixed-block file
171 system. In addition, only regular files are overwritten, other types of files
176 utility differs from historical implementations in that the
178 option only masks attempts to remove non-existent files instead of
179 masking a large variety of errors.
182 option is non-standard and its use in scripts is not recommended.
186 implementations prompted on the standard output,
187 not the standard error output.
193 compatible, except that
201 specified is a directory. This implementation requires the
203 option if such behavior is desired. This follows the historical
206 with respect to directories.