Deleting directories with files in them

AMDPwred · 02-15-2003, 07:00 PM

I was trying to delete a directory with files in it but I couldn't unlink them. A quick reference to my Red Hat book confirmed you cannot delete a directory if it has files in it. Is there anyway around this?

acid_kewpie · 02-15-2003, 07:01 PM

of course you can

rm -rf directory

macewan · 02-16-2003, 12:52 AM

as an example let's say you have a directory called fred. now this directory is located at /home/AMDPwred/fred and you want to dump it.

rm -rf /home/AMDPwred/fred

skidhmor · 02-16-2003, 12:57 AM

As warning though, do NOT type rm -rf / as root.
Unless, of course, you WANT to delete your entire linux install, plus any mounted partitions that are writeable(ie- any mounted FAT32 windows partitions)

cuckoopint · 02-16-2003, 01:01 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by macewan
rm -rf /home/AMDPwred/fred

maybe the -f option is a little too much. when one uses the -r option, there should not be too many problems - but if there are, wouldn't you want to know about them?

crichards · 02-16-2003, 01:20 AM

When I was experimenting with User Mode Linux, I did an rm -rf /.

It is devastating to your system. BE VERY CAREFUL WITH rm -rf! Double check what you are typing!!!

emetib · 02-16-2003, 09:02 AM

to remove a directory-

rm -dR /filename.

to remove only the contents

rm /filename/*

when you are in your /home dir remenber not to put the / before your dir. if there is a /test and a /home/user/test you will end up removing the one that isn't in your /home/user

good luck

macewan · 02-16-2003, 12:06 PM

naturally you need to be careful and think before you perform these functions.