Deleting Files and Directories in Linux: Step-by-Step Instructions

Deleting files on a Linux system is a fundamental task that every user should know how to perform efficiently and safely. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced Linux user, this comprehensive guide will walk you through various methods and commands to delete files, directories, and even recoverable data. So, grab your terminal and get ready to master the art of file deletion on Linux.

Prerequisites

• A terminal or command line window (Alt+Ctrl+T or Ctrl+Alt+F2)
• A user account that has sudo access (optional)

Understanding File Permissions:

Understanding File Permissions Before diving into file deletion, it’s crucial to grasp Linux file permissions and ownership. This section will explain the concepts of read, write, and execute permissions, ensuring you have the necessary knowledge to manage files effectively.

How to delete or remove files from Linux

Learn the fundamentals of using the rm command to remove particular files. Investigate several possibilities, such as forcing a deletion, asking for confirmation, and simultaneously deleting many files using wildcards.

Enter the following command in the command line to remove a single file:

rm filename

You can delete multiple files simultaneously by using the rm command:

rm filename_1 filename_2 filename_3

This command supports the usage of wildcards.

For example, type the following to remove all files with the.bmp extension:

rm *.bmp

Additionally, using this technique, all files containing a given string of characters are deleted:

rm *sample*.*

Any file with the word “sample” in its name will be deleted as a result.

The program will look for the file you want to delete in the current directory.

Change to the desired directory first in order to delete a file there:

cd /tmp

rm filename

Alternatively, you can directly specify the file location in a single command:

rm /tmp/filename

Note: Once the rm command has deleted a file, you will not be able to access it. The only way to retrieve a file would be to restore it from a backup (if one is available).

Options for the rm command

By adding options, the rm command’s behavior can be modified. A hyphen, followed by one or more characters that represent commands, designates an option.

A confirmation prompt should be added if you’re Deleting Files. To use a dialog that is interactive, use the -i option:

rm –i *.key

Type “yes” or “no” to confirm the deletion of the specified files.

cloudbooklet@localhost ~j$ rm -i  *.key
rm: remove write protected regular file 'ca.key'? no
rm: remove regular file 'yourdomain.key'? yes

With the -v or verbose option, the deletion’s progress will be shown:

rm –v *.txt

The output demonstrates that the removal of the test.txt file was successful.

cloudbooklet@localhost ~j$ rm -v  *.key
removed 'test.txt'

Use the -f option to compel the deletion of a write-protected file:

rm –f filename

To delete a file that displays “Access denied” and utilize sudo privileges:

sudo rm filename

Deleting Empty Directories with rmdir Command

Find out how to use the rmdir command to instantly delete empty directories. We’ll go over instances where this command is helpful and talk about scenarios.

• Removes empty directories and files using the rmdir command
• The rm command deletes a directory or folder and all of its files and subdirectories.

You can delete a directory and every file inside of it by using the -r (-R) option with the rm command.

Use the -r option in the command: to delete a directory and everything inside it recursively.

rm –r dir_name

This will ask for your approval before deleting.

Without asking for permission, delete a directory

rm –rf directory

Also, you can delete more than one directory or folder at a time:

rm –r dir_name1 dir_name2 dir_name3

Linux’s rmdir command removes directories

It can be challenging to delete directories and their contents, but stay calm! This part will walk you through the rm command’s recursive (-r) option, which makes it simple to remove directories and their subdirectories.

To delete empty files and directories in Linux, use the rmdir command solely. An error message is shown in the output if a specified directory is not empty.
The standard syntax for Deleting Files empty Linux files and directories is as follows:

rmdir [dir_name]

Additionally, you may remove multiple empty folders sequentially by typing:

rmdir [dir_name1][dir_name2][dir_name3]

One of the directories in the list will be skipped if the command discovers material there, and the command will move on to the next directory.

Also read: SCP Command in Linux: A Beginner’s Guide to Secure File Transfers

Deleting Files and Directories in Linux – FAQs

Conclusion

Finally, while Deleting files on Linux, exercise caution and follow best practices. Verify the files before deleting them, whether you’re using the rm command, graphical file managers, or secure deletion techniques. Regular file cleansing keeps systems running smoothly and reduces data clutter. When Deleting files in Linux, take care to be methodical and careful. Please feel free to share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.