redhat man page for rm

RM(1)								   User Commands							     RM(1)

NAME
       rm - remove files or directories

SYNOPSIS
       rm [OPTION]... FILE...

DESCRIPTION
       This manual page documents the GNU version of rm.  rm removes each specified file.  By default, it does not remove directories.

       If  a file is unwritable, the standard input is a tty, and the -f or --force option is not given, rm prompts the user for whether to remove
       the file.  If the response does not begin with `y' or `Y', the file is skipped.

OPTIONS
       Remove (unlink) the FILE(s).

       -d, --directory
	      unlink FILE, even if it is a non-empty directory (super-user only)

       -f, --force
	      ignore nonexistent files, never prompt

       -i, --interactive
	      prompt before any removal

       -r, -R, --recursive
	      remove the contents of directories recursively

       -v, --verbose
	      explain what is being done

       --help display this help and exit

       --version
	      output version information and exit

       To remove a file whose name starts with a `-', for example `-foo', use one of these commands:

	      rm -- -foo

	      rm ./-foo

       Note that if you use rm to remove a file, it is usually possible to recover the contents of that file.  If you want more assurance that the
       contents are truly unrecoverable, consider using shred.

AUTHOR
       Written by Paul Rubin, David MacKenzie, Richard Stallman, and Jim Meyering.

REPORTING BUGS
       Report bugs to <bug-coreutils@gnu.org>.

COPYRIGHT
       Copyright (C) 2002 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
       This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.  There is NO warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICU-
       LAR PURPOSE.

SEE ALSO
       shred(1)

       The full documentation for rm is maintained as a Texinfo manual.  If the info and rm programs are properly installed at your site, the com-
       mand

	      info rm

       should give you access to the complete manual.

rm (coreutils) 4.5.3						   October 2002 							     RM(1)