Permanent Removal

The rm command (Remove) deletes files permanently. Linux does not have a Recycle Bin or Trash folder for the CLI. Use this command with extreme caution.

Basic Deletion

To delete a single file:

bash $ rm useless_file.tmp

To delete multiple files:

bash $ rm file1.txt file2.txt report.doc

Interactive Deletion (-i)

Always use the interactive option (-i) when deleting, especially when using wildcards (covered later). This prompts you for confirmation before each deletion.

bash $ rm -i large_report.pdf rm: remove regular file 'large_report.pdf'? y

Deleting Empty Directories

The rmdir command is specifically for deleting empty directories.

bash $ rmdir empty_folder

If the folder is not empty, rmdir will fail.