remove directory??

KaktusKnight · 03-30-2003, 11:37 PM

I am using SuSe 7.2, 8.1 and 8.2 and I have a little problem. What is the command for deleting folders with files inside? I have tried rmdir in various ways but it is not working? Anyone that knows?

Thanks in advance!!

Crashed_Again · 03-30-2003, 11:39 PM

rm -rf /directory/you/want/to/remove

Carefull though! rm -rf is the most dangerous of all commands.

snocked · 03-30-2003, 11:58 PM

rmdir only works if the dir is empty, so like Crashed_Again said, use rm with recursive and force switches.

KaktusKnight · 03-31-2003, 12:42 AM

Thanks a lot!! To solve the problem temporarily I had to put all the directories I did not need anymore in a special directory, just to get rid of them.. Thanks again!!

buknoy · 05-30-2003, 08:30 PM

Crashed_Again was very helpful in many ways. I am using Redhat 8.3 and for some reason, "rm -df *" and "rm -fr *" does not work in my system. All I could get are the "Cannot Unlink" error messages.

Electboy · 05-31-2003, 12:20 PM

Quote:

rm -rf is the most dangerous of all commands.

Why is it the most dangerous?

trickykid · 05-31-2003, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Electboy
Why is it the most dangerous?

Say your logged in as root and you type this:

rm -rf / home/user1/example-file

Notice the space after / and home? If you accidently typed that command and accidently made a space after the / and home, you would delete everything on your system. And it would be gone. That's why its dangerous.

Electboy · 05-31-2003, 12:38 PM

Thanks trickykid

chrismiceli · 05-31-2003, 01:26 PM

yeah, once i accidentally made a file name "/" with vi (:wq/) and went to remove it like this
rm / -fr
it should have been this
rm .\/ -f