RM(1)               RISC/os Reference Manual                RM(1)



NAME
     rm, rmdir - remove files or directories

SYNOPSIS
     rm [-f] [-i] file ...
     rm -r [-f] [-i] dirname ... [file ...]

     rmdir [-p] [-s] dirname ...

DESCRIPTION
     rm removes the entries for one or more files from a direc-
     tory.  If a file has no write permission and the standard
     input is a terminal, the full set of permissions (in octal)
     for the file are printed followed by a question mark. This
     is a prompt for confirmation.  If the answer begins with y
     (for yes), the file is deleted, otherwise the file remains.

     If file is a symbolic link, the link will be removed, but
     the file or directory to which it refers will not be
     deleted. A user does not need write permission on a symbolic
     link to remove it, provided they have write permissions in
     the directory.

     Note that if the standard input is not a terminal, the com-
     mand will operate as if the f option is in effect.

     Three options apply to rm:

     f    This option causes the removal of all files (whether
          write-protected or not) in a directory without prompt-
          ing the user.  File (non-directory) related error mes-
          sages are suppressed.  In a write-protected directory,
          however, files are never removed (whatever their per-
          missions are), but no messages are displayed. If the
          removal of a write-protected directory is attempted,
          this option will not suppress an error message.

     i    With this option, confirmation of removal of any
          write-protected file occurs interactively.  It over-
          rides the f option and remains in effect even if the
          standard input is not a terminal.

     r    This option causes the recursive removal of any direc-
          tories and subdirectories in the argument list.  The
          directory will be emptied of files and removed.  Note
          that the user is normally prompted for removal of any
          write-protected files which the directory contains.
          The write-protected files are removed without prompt-
          ing, however, if the f option is used, or if the stan-
          dard input is not a terminal and the i option is not
          used.

          Symbolic links that are encountered with this option



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RM(1)               RISC/os Reference Manual                RM(1)



          will not be traversed.

          If the removal of a non-empty, write-protected direc-
          tory is attempted, the command will always fail (even
          if the f option is used), resulting in an error mes-
          sage.

     Two options apply to rmdir:

     p    This option allows users to remove the directory dir-
          name and its parent directories which become empty.  A
          message is printed on standard output about whether the
          whole path is removed or part of the path remains for
          some reason.

     s    This option is used to suppress the message printed on
          standard error when p is in effect.

DIAGNOSTICS
     All messages are generally self-explanatory.
     It is forbidden to remove the files "." and ".."  in order
     to avoid the consequences of inadvertently doing something
     like the following:
          rm -r .*

     Both rm and rmdir return exit codes of 0 if all the speci-
     fied directories are removed successfully.  Otherwise, they
     return a non-zero exit code.

SEE ALSO
     unlink(2), rmdir(2) in the Programmer's Reference Manual.

NOTES
     A -- permits the user to mark explicitly the end of any com-
     mand line options, allowing rm to recognize filename argu-
     ments that begin with a -.  As an aid to BSD migration, rm
     will accept - as a synonym for --.  This migration aid may
     disappear in a future release.  If a -- and a - both appear
     on the same command line, the second will be interpreted as
     a filename.















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