How to Remove Files and Folders using Linux Command Line

If you’re managing servers, especially Virtual Private Servers (VPS), learning Linux commands is important because they help you manage the server more effectively. 

While you can use a control panel with buttons and menus, Linux commands are quicker and more powerful for tasks like deleting files and organizing data.

Therefore, in this post, we will discuss How to use Linux commands to delete files and directories.

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Note: Always make sure you have a backup before deleting anything, just in case you accidentally remove something important.

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How to Delete an Empty Folder in Linux

In Linux, when you delete files or folders, they don’t go to a recycle bin or trash like on some other systems. This means that if you accidentally delete something, you can’t get it back unless you have a backup saved somewhere.

Using the rmdir Command

To help avoid such mistakes, you can use the rmdir command to delete only empty folders. If you try to delete a folder that has files in it, you’ll see this error message:

**”rmdir: failed to remove ‘Directory’: Directory not empty.”**

How to Use the rmdir Command

– The basic way to use the command looks like this:

  

  rmdir DirectoryName

  

  For example, to delete a folder called **Simple-Directory**, you would type:

  

  rmdir Simple-Directory

  

– You can also delete multiple empty folders at once by listing them:

  

  rmdir Directory_1 Directory_2 Directory_3

  

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Extra Options for rmdir

– **-p**: This option allows you to delete a subfolder and its parent folder if both are empty. For example:

  

  rmdir -p /Directory/SubDirectory

  

  This will delete the **SubDirectory** and also remove its parent **Directory** if it’s empty.

– **-v**: This option gives you a confirmation message that the folder has been successfully deleted. For example:

  

  rmdir -v Simple-Directory

  

  The message will say something like **”rmdir: removing directory, ‘Simple-Directory’”** to confirm the deletion.

How to Delete a Folder with Files in It

To delete a folder that has files in it, you use the **rm** command. While this command is mainly for deleting files, you can add options to also remove folders. Here’s how to use it:

Basic Command Syntax

The basic way to write the command is:

rm option FileOrFolderName

Using the -r Option

– To delete a folder and everything inside it (including all files and subfolders), you use the **-r** option, which stands for “recursive.” For example:

  

  rm -r Simple-Directory

  

  This command will delete **Simple-Directory** and everything inside it.

**Warning**: Be careful when using this command! Deleting a folder with **rm -r** will also delete all its contents. You can only get them back if you have a backup.

Confirming Deletion

– If the folder you’re trying to delete is write-protected (meaning it has some protection against deletion), the system will ask you to confirm before deleting anything.

– If you want to delete a folder without being asked for confirmation, you can use the **-rf** option:

  

  rm -rf Simple-Directory

  

  This will delete the folder and all its contents without asking you first.

Deleting Empty Folders

– You can also delete empty folders using the **rm** command with the **-d** option:

  

  rm -d Simple-Directory

  

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Deleting Multiple Folders

– Similar to the **rmdir** command, you can delete multiple folders at once using **rm** by listing them all:

  

  rm -r Directory_1 Directory_2 Directory_3

  

How to Delete a File in Linux using rm command

If you want to remove a specific file instead of deleting an entire folder, you can use the **rm** command. This method is safer because it helps avoid accidentally deleting everything in a folder.

Deleting a Single File

To delete one file in the current directory, you just type:

rm file.txt

Deleting Multiple Files

You can also delete several files at once by listing their names:

rm file1.txt file2.txt file3.txt

**Note**: These commands only work if you are in the folder where those files are located. If the file is in another folder, you can specify the path:

rm dir/subdir/file.txt

Adding Confirmation to Prevent Accidental Deletion

Since this command permanently deletes files, you can add the **-i** option to ask for confirmation before deleting:

rm -i file1.txt file2.txt file3.txt

When you run this command, the system will ask if you want to delete each file. Type **Y** and press Enter to delete or **N** to cancel.

If you want to confirm only once when deleting more than three files, use the **-I** option:

rm -I file1.txt file2.txt file3.txt

Skipping Confirmation

If you want to delete a file without being asked for confirmation, use the **-f** option:

rm -f file.txt

Using Wildcards to Delete Multiple Files

You can use wildcards to delete many files at once:

– **Asterisk (*)**: Represents multiple characters. For example, to delete all text files:

  

  rm *.txt

  

  This command will remove all files with the **.txt** extension in the current directory.

– **Question Mark (?)**: Represents a single character. You can use it with the asterisk to delete files with specific extensions. For example:

  

  rm *.?

  

  This command will delete files that have a single-character extension.

Warning About Wildcards

Be very careful when using wildcards because you might accidentally delete important files. Before running a command with wildcards, use the **ls** command to see what files are in the directory to ensure you aren’t deleting anything important.

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Conclusion

Deleting or removing files and folders using Linux commands is not a big deal; all you have to do is understand the basic functionality of the rm and rmdir commands first. The rm command allows you to delete files and folders, while the rmdir command allows you to delete only empty folders.

This is not the end; if you are familiar with other essential Linux commands, there are many things you can do with files.

If you have any queries or suggestions regarding this topic, please let us know in the comment section below.

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