DEL(1,C) AIX Commands Reference DEL(1,C)
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del
PURPOSE
Deletes files.
SYNTAX
+-----+
del ---| |-- file --|
+- - -+ ^ |
+------+
DESCRIPTION
The del command is provided in AIX for compatibility with other systems. A
similar function is provided by "rm i". The del command displays the list of
specified file names and asks you to confirm your request to delete the group
of files. To delete the files, press the Enter key or enter a line beginning
with "y".
Since pressing the Enter key by itself is the same as answering "yes", be
careful not to delete files accidentally. Any other response specifies "no"
(do not delete the files).
The del command does not delete directories. See "rmdir" for information about
deleting directories.
Warning: The del command ignores file protection, allowing the owner of a file
to delete a write-protected file. To to delete a file, you must have write
permission in the directory that the file exists in.
FLAG
- Requests confirmation to delete each specified file rather than to delete
the entire group.
EXAMPLES
1. To delete a file:
del chap1.bak
This command displays the message:
delete chap1.bak? (y)
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DEL(1,C) AIX Commands Reference DEL(1,C)
asking you to confirm deletion "chap1.bak". To delete the file, press the
Enter key or enter "y".
2. To use the del command with pattern-matching characters:
del *.bak
Before passing the command line to the del command, the shell replaces the
pattern "*.bak" with the names of all the files in the current directory
that end with ".bak". (This is known as file-name expansion.) The del
command asks you to confirm your request before deleting a group of files.
3. To interactively select files to be deleted:
del - *
This command displays one at a time, the name of each file in the current
directory, allowing you to select the files you want to delete.
RELATED INFORMATION
See "rmdir" and "rm, delete."
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