rm removes (deletes) files and directories. Unlike Finder, deleted files don't go to Trash - they're gone immediately.

Basic Usage

rm filename

The file is deleted. No confirmation, no undo.

Delete Multiple Files

rm file1.txt file2.txt file3.txt

Or with wildcards:

rm *.tmp
rm *.log

Delete Directories (-r)

Directories require -r (recursive):

rm -r foldername

Deletes the folder and everything inside it.

Without -r:

rm: foldername: is a directory

The Dangerous Command

You've probably heard about this:

rm -rf /

Never run this. It deletes everything on your drive. The flags mean:

• -r - recursive (delete directories)
• -f - force (don't ask, ignore errors)

Modern macOS has protections, but variations can still cause damage.

Safe Usage Practices

1. Use -i for confirmation:

rm -i file.txt

Asks before each deletion:

remove file.txt? y

2. Use wildcards carefully:

First check what matches:

ls *.log

Then delete:

rm *.log

3. Double-check before hitting Enter:

Read the command. Make sure the path is right.

Common Options

Interactive Mode (-i)

rm -ri folder/

Asks about each file:

examine files in directory folder/? y
remove folder/file1.txt? y
remove folder/file2.txt? n

Verbose Mode (-v)

rm -rv folder/

Shows what's being deleted:

folder/file1.txt
folder/file2.txt
folder/

Delete Empty Directory

For empty directories, you can use rmdir:

rmdir emptyfolder

Safer than rm -r because it only works on empty directories.

Move to Trash Instead

If you want files to go to Trash:

# Using built-in command (macOS Sonoma and later)
trash file.txt

# Or install trash-cli via Homebrew
brew install trash-cli
trash file.txt

Or create a safer alias:

# Add to ~/.zshrc
alias rm='rm -i'

Now rm always asks for confirmation.

Recovering Deleted Files

Short answer: You probably can't.

rm doesn't move files to Trash - it removes filesystem entries. Recovery tools might work if:

• The disk hasn't been written to since
• You have specialized recovery software
• You have backups (Time Machine, etc.)

Best practice: Use Trash or backup important files before deleting.

Practical Examples

Clean up old logs:

rm *.log

Delete a project folder:

rm -r old-project/

Delete everything in current folder:

rm -r *

Delete files older than 30 days:

find . -mtime +30 -delete

Wildcards

Common Errors

"Permission denied":

• File is protected or owned by another user
• Try sudo rm if you're sure you should delete it

"No such file or directory":

• File doesn't exist or path is wrong
• Check with ls first

"Directory not empty":

• Using rmdir on a folder with files
• Use rm -r instead

Quick Reference

Keep Learning

rm is powerful and permanent. The free course teaches safe file management practices.

Check it out at Mac Terminal for Humans.