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Hi!

Indeed, d is directory... r is recursive... but f is not for "folder" it 
is for "FORCE"... i.e. "Answer YES at every question rm might be tempted 
to ask you.". It's the "NO CONFIRMATION" flag.

Also, since "-r" means "recursive", it automatically implies "-d".

So rm -r means remove all the files and subdirectories... adding the -f 
is to avoild the "Do you really want to remove X or Y" every time... and 
-d is not needed with the -r.

rm -r

or

rm -rf to be sure to have it do it's work without prompting.

Just avoid doing what I once did as root... typed "rm -rf /tmp/*"... but 
put a space at the wrong place and ended up actually typing "rm -rf /tmp 
/*" (note the unwanted space between tmp and /*)... When I noticed that 
my command was taking a bit too long to just clean /tmp, it was already 
too late. :)

Gilles.



Xianwen Chen wrote:
> Thanks! It really helps!
>
> On 4/6/06, Matt Freymiller <stirfrey@gmail.com> wrote:
>   
>> rm -rdf
>>
>> should do it.
>>
>>
>> r-recursive
>> d-directory
>> f-folder
>>
>> I'm not sure if thats really what the letters stand for, but thats how I
>> remember it.
>>
>>
>> Matt
>>
>>
>> On 4/5/06, Xianwen Chen <apple45@gmail.com> wrote:
>>     
>>> How to delete a non-empty directory?
>>>
>>> --
>>> Xianwen Chen
>>> College Of Economics And Trades,Shanghai Fishiries University
>>> Shanghai,China
>>> 086-21-68022471
>>> apple45@gmail.com
>>>
>>>       
>>     
>
>
> --
> Xianwen Chen
> College Of Economics And Trades,Shanghai Fishiries University
> Shanghai,China
> 086-21-68022471
> apple45@gmail.com
>
>   

-- 
/*Gilles Gravier*/ *=* *Gilles@Gravier.org* <mailto:Gilles@Gravier.org> 
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"Chastity is its own punishment." (/Solomon Short/) [/David Gerrold/]
"De toutes les aberrations sexuelles, la chasteté est la plus 
aberrante." [Anatole France]


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