Removing Directories in Linux

On Linux and Unix-like operating systems, including Ubuntu and MacOS, directories can be removed and deleted using either the [.inline-code]rm[.inline-code] or [.inline-code]rmdir[.inline-code] bash commands.

The short answer

To remove an entire directory or folder, including the files and subdirectories it contains, you can use the [.inline-code]rm[.inline-code] command with the [.inline-code]-r[.inline-code] flag (short for recursive):

 $ rm -r directory

[#AI-command-search]Remind yourself of the syntax using AI Command Search[#AI-command-search]

If you’re using Warp as your terminal, you can easily retrieve this command using the Warp AI Command Search feature:

Entering [.inline-code]remove directory[.inline-code] in the AI Command Search prompt results in [.inline-code]rm -rf directory[.inline-code], which you can then quickly insert into your shell by doing [.inline-code]CMD+ENTER[.inline-code].

[#forcing-removal-directories]Forcing the removal of directories with [.inline-code]rm -f[.inline-code][#forcing-removal-directories]

When trying to remove a read-only directory (write permission not set), the [.inline-code]rm[.inline-code] command will produce the following error message:

 $ rm -r tmp
 rm: cannot remove 'tmp': Permission denied

To bypass this behavior, you can either change its permissions using the [.inline-code]chmod[.inline-code] command, or you can use the [.inline-code]-f[.inline-code] flag (short for force) in combination with the [.inline-code]-r[.inline-code] flag, which will remove it without prompting you for confirmation.

 $ rm -rf directory

Note that in case the directory belongs to another user, you'll have to use the [.inline-code]sudo[.inline-code] command to gain elevated privileges in order to remove it.

 $ sudo rm -rf directory

Also note that this command is potentially harmful to the operating system and must be used with extreme caution. As a rule of thumb, never use this command on directories that begin with a slash ([.inline-code]/[.inline-code]) or that include wildcards ([.inline-code]*[.inline-code]) in their path.

[#safely-removing-dirs]Safely removing directories with [.inline-code]rm[.inline-code][#safely-removing-dirs]

Unlike when removing files and directories using the graphical interface, the [.inline-code]rm[.inline-code] command doesn't move the selected entries into the trash, but immediately and irreversibly erases them from the disk.

[#interactive-mode]Removing directories in interactive mode[#interactive-mode]

One option for safely removing directories, is to use the [.inline-code]-i[.inline-code] flag (short for interactive), which will prompt you for confirmation before attempting to remove any of them:

 $ rm -ri directory

You can then either press [.inline-code]y[.inline-code] to confirm or [.inline-code]n[.inline-code] to skip, followed by [.inline-code]ENTER[.inline-code].

[#wildcard-pattern]Testing a wildcard pattern with [.inline-code]ls[.inline-code][#wildcard-pattern]

Another option for safely removing directories when using wildcards is to first test your pattern using the [.inline-code]ls[.inline-code] command, which will display the list of matched entries:

 $ ls -R dir_*

Once you are certain of your selection, you can then replace [.inline-code]ls[.inline-code] with [.inline-code]rm[.inline-code] to actually remove them:

 $ rm -R dir_*

Note that when using [.inline-code]rm[.inline-code], the [.inline-code]-r[.inline-code] flag and the [.inline-code]-R[.inline-code] flag will have the same effect.

[#rm-and-rmdir]Removing empty directories with [.inline-code]rm[.inline-code] and [.inline-code]rmdir[.inline-code][#rm-and-rmdir]

To remove empty directories only, you can use the [.inline-code]rm[.inline-code] command with the [.inline-code]-d[.inline-code] flag (short for directory):

 $ rm -d directory

Or use the [.inline-code]rmdir[.inline-code] command, which is specifically designed for that purpose:

 $ rmdir directory

The advantage of using [.inline-code]rmdir[.inline-code], though, is that it allows you to recursively remove empty directories using the [.inline-code]-p[.inline-code] flag:

 $ rmdir -p dir/subdir/