How do I remove files in Mac OS X using command line commands?
How do I remove files from a shell prompt on a Unix system?
How do I remove files from the Windows command shell?
Context
This article talks about using command line commands to remove files under Mac OS X, Unix, and Windows. It also talks a little about the risks entailed therein.
Answer
A quick summary of the risks Most graphical desktops these days provide a safety net when deleting files or folders, such as the Trash or Recycle Bin. These safety nets are usually bypassed when removing files using the command line. In many cases the file is immediately and irretrievably deleted. In others the file can possibly be retrieved, but only with great difficulty and special tools.
Use command line commands with caution, especially when removing or moving files
Be especially careful when using them as an administrator or as the root user
Be especially careful when working with system files or files not in your user home directory
Always keep a recent and complete backup of your system
On Mac OS X
To bring up a command line / command prompt under Mac OS X launch the Terminal application located in the Utilities folder inside your Applications folder
The table below lists command line commands to remove files and folders
Command
What happens
Comments
rm -i filename
Removes file filename after confirmation
The -i is optional but recommended as it asks you to confirm before removing the file}
rmdir foldername
Remove the empty folder foldername
No confirmation needed, but only works if the folder is already empty
rm -i -r foldername
Removes the folder foldername and all of its contents
Again the -i is optional, recommended, but in this case annoying, especially if there are a lot of items in the folder. You will be asked to confirm each item separately.
For more information look at the man (manual) pages for these commands
To bring up the man pages for rm or rmdir use:
man rm
man rmdir
On Unix/Linux
Steps to bring up a command prompt in a terminal window on a Unix or Linux system vary; look for and launch something called Terminal, XTerm, or similar
The table below lists basic command line commands to remove files and folders
Command
What happens
Comments
rm -i filename
Removes file filename after confirmation
The -i is optional but recommended as it asks you to confirm before removing the file}
rmdir directoryname
Remove the empty directory directoryname
No confirmation needed, but only works if the directory is already empty
rm -i -r directoryname
Removes the directory directoryname and all of its contents
Again the -i is optional, recommended, but in this case annoying, especially if there are a lot of items in the directory. You will be asked to confirm each item separately.
For more information look at the man (manual) pages for these commands
To bring up the man pages for rm or rmdir use:
man rm
man rmdir
On Windows
To open the Windows command line shell select the Run item from the Start menu
In the box that opens asking you what to run, enter "cmd"
A window with a command prompt will open
If there is no Run item in your Start menu but there is a search box you can type into when you open your Start menu (the default in Windows Vista) you can type "cmd" directly into the search box and press Return to launch a window with a command prompt.
The table below lists basic command line commands to remove files and folders