The rm command is used to remove (delete) files and directories in Linux. Once deleted using rm, files generally cannot be recovered easily, so it must be used carefully.

Basic Syntax

rm [options] filename

Common Uses of rm

1. Delete a file

rm file.txt

2. Delete multiple files

rm file1.txt file2.txt file3.txt

3. Delete a directory and its contents (recursive delete)

rm -r foldername

Deletes the folder along with everything inside it.

4. Force delete without asking for confirmation

rm -f file.txt

5. Delete a directory recursively without confirmation

rm -rf foldername

Very powerful and dangerous — removes everything in that directory permanently.

6. Ask before deleting each file

rm -i file.txt

Useful Options