How do You delete a Directory and all it's contents?

FishTech · 11-01-02, 10:14 AM

Hi All!

How do You delete a Directory and all it's contents?

Thanks and Love You!
FishTech

DaveW · 11-01-02, 10:26 AM

rm -rf /somedirectory

be careful

FishTech · 11-01-02, 11:59 AM

Thanks DaveW,

I tried it but it didn't work?... I'm using Mandrake 9.0 if that makes a difference.

Also, as Root/Superuser don't I have the authority to delete any directory or file?... These directorys and files (that are now in the trash) that I'm trying to delete even as Root tell me acess denied... What's up with that?

DaveW · 11-01-02, 12:03 PM

Dunno... rm -rf is pretty much the only Linux command I know

Can anyone else help out here?

de><ta · 11-01-02, 02:28 PM

rmdir directory/* to get rid of all files and dir

rmdir -rf directory
or try
rmdir -rf directory/*
NOTE:i dont use this to often, it can be risky especially at cmd line level

unix and linux commands are all universal. So if u know unix cmd line scripting u can use that for linux cmd scripting too.

By the way out of curiousity what directory are u nuking?

cheers
dexta

Klaus-P · 11-01-02, 03:32 PM

" Hi All!
How do You delete a Directory and all it's contents?
Thanks and Love You!"

The "BIBLICAL REVELATION(S)" will LOVE you too while deleting a Directory, i'm almost sure.

(i hope my non-technical remark does not violate any thread 'laws', hmmmm.)

FishTech · 11-01-02, 03:32 PM

Hi de><ta, and thanks DaveW,

I tried them all and nothing worked... Am I doing something wrong?... Here's my shell session:

[peacemaker@localhost Trash]$ su
Password:
[root@localhost Trash]# rmdir -rf Kvidtune/*
rmdir: invalid option -- r
Try `rmdir --help' for more information.
[root@localhost Trash]# rmdir -rf Kvidtune
rmdir: invalid option -- r
Try `rmdir --help' for more information.
[root@localhost Trash]# rmdir Kvidtune/*
rmdir: `Kvidtune/kvidtune-0.4.1': Directory not empty
[root@localhost Trash]#

mtrr · 11-02-02, 09:25 AM

what about 'rm -rf Kvidtune' ?
that will work, the 'r' is for recursively and the 'f'
means force, without 'f' rm can't delete a directory.

cheers

11-02-02, 09:56 AM

rm -r nameofdirectory

works for me mdk9.0

mtrr · 11-02-02, 10:10 AM

synonymy: you're right, should have done some proof reading

the 'f' flag is needed incase there is a read-only file, as 'rm' would
choke on it and ask if you were really sure.....

cheers

FishTech · 11-04-02, 03:28 PM

Thanks Everyone,

'rm -r' worked... I did however have to answer 'y' for each and every file that I wanted to delete within the directory... Would there be an easier way?

mtrr · 11-04-02, 04:02 PM

'rm -rf' as I wrote and explained one post above.

or do 'unalias rm', then rm -f will do also

I assume it's either RH or MDK? am I right?

cheers

redhat (dunno MDK) set 'rm' to 'rm -i' (I know
not exactly, it's just an alias, but we may keep
that up for further axplanations later on, may we?)

11-01-02, 10:14 AM	#1
FishTech Registered User Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 38	How do You delete a Directory and all it's contents? Hi All! How do You delete a Directory and all it's contents? Thanks and Love You! FishTech __________________ *BIBLICAL REVELATIONS*

11-01-02, 10:26 AM	#2
DaveW Its me! Hurray! Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Brit in USA Posts: 1,203	rm -rf /somedirectory be careful __________________ Core2 Q9400 @ 3.0, eVGA GTX 260, 4G DDR 800, Vista64

11-01-02, 11:59 AM	#3
FishTech Registered User Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 38	Thanks DaveW, I tried it but it didn't work?... I'm using Mandrake 9.0 if that makes a difference. Also, as Root/Superuser don't I have the authority to delete any directory or file?... These directorys and files (that are now in the trash) that I'm trying to delete even as Root tell me acess denied... What's up with that? __________________ *BIBLICAL REVELATIONS*

11-01-02, 12:03 PM	#4
DaveW Its me! Hurray! Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Brit in USA Posts: 1,203	Dunno... rm -rf is pretty much the only Linux command I know Can anyone else help out here? __________________ Core2 Q9400 @ 3.0, eVGA GTX 260, 4G DDR 800, Vista64

11-01-02, 02:28 PM	#5
de><ta prodigy Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: USA, NY Posts: 1,100	rmdir directory/* to get rid of all files and dir rmdir -rf directory or try rmdir -rf directory/* NOTE:i dont use this to often, it can be risky especially at cmd line level unix and linux commands are all universal. So if u know unix cmd line scripting u can use that for linux cmd scripting too. By the way out of curiousity what directory are u nuking? cheers dexta __________________ IBM T60p \| Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 \| 2GB PC2-5300 \| ATi M X1700 256MB \| 100GB 7200rpm SATA ///m-powered \| Intel i7 920 \| EVGA x58 \| 6GB DD3 1600 \| EVGA GTX 285 SSC \| 150GB VelociRaptor Drag racing is for fast cars. Autocrossing is for fast drivers. Last edited by de><ta; 11-01-02 at 02:31 PM.

11-01-02, 03:32 PM	#6
Klaus-P Registered User Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Germany Posts: 134	" Hi All! How do You delete a Directory and all it's contents? Thanks and Love You!" The "BIBLICAL REVELATION(S)" will LOVE you too while deleting a Directory, i'm almost sure. (i hope my non-technical remark does not violate any thread 'laws', hmmmm.)

11-02-02, 09:25 AM	#8
mtrr Registered User Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Germany Posts: 234	what about 'rm -rf Kvidtune' ? that will work, the 'r' is for recursively and the 'f' means force, without 'f' rm can't delete a directory. cheers

11-02-02, 09:56 AM	#9
synonymy Guest Posts: n/a	rm -r nameofdirectory works for me mdk9.0

11-02-02, 10:10 AM	#10
mtrr Registered User Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Germany Posts: 234	synonymy: you're right, should have done some proof reading the 'f' flag is needed incase there is a read-only file, as 'rm' would choke on it and ask if you were really sure..... cheers

11-04-02, 03:28 PM	#11
FishTech Registered User Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 38	Thanks Everyone, 'rm -r' worked... I did however have to answer 'y' for each and every file that I wanted to delete within the directory... Would there be an easier way? __________________ *BIBLICAL REVELATIONS*

11-04-02, 04:02 PM	#12
mtrr Registered User Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Germany Posts: 234	'rm -rf' as I wrote and explained one post above. or do 'unalias rm', then rm -f will do also I assume it's either RH or MDK? am I right? cheers redhat (dunno MDK) set 'rm' to 'rm -i' (I know not exactly, it's just an alias, but we may keep that up for further axplanations later on, may we?)