Remove Directory in Linux: How to Delete Files and Folders

In Linux, you can use the following command to remove files and directories, rm (remove). Here are the steps to remove a directory in Linux:

1. First, you need to launch / open Terminal in Linux system.

2. Open the directory you would wish to delete by using the file explorer or by typing the physical path of the directory in the explorer address bar. Don’t forget you can always type the `cd` which stands for change directory to get to the appropriate directory.

3. When in the directory, type in the `ls` function in terminal in order to display the files in the directory. It is always a good idea to double check that you are in the proper directory and that is what you want to delete everything out of.

4. To remove a directory and all its contents, use the following command:

rm -r directory_name

This is just an example with two files for clarity’s sake, but replace “directory_name” with whatever name the directory you want to delete has. The “-r” switches enable the program to remove the directory together with all contents contained therein.

5. You will be able to delete it and will be asked a confirmation when doing so. Press y to continue, then press Enter.

6. If you delete the file successfully you will not get any response in your terminal.

There also are some important notes for using the `rm` command – it is a very effective command and it deletes files and directories permanently. It should not be used often and before that you should be quite sure that you have chosen the right files and directories to be deleted.

That’s it! And now you know how to remove a directory and some additional things about ‘rm’ command in Linux.

Originally posted 2024-10-03 11:31:55.