Removing a Directory In Linux

How do I remove a directory in Linux using the shell prompt?

You can use the following commands:

[a] rmdir command : remove empty directories.

[b] rm command : remove files or directories.

Linux Delete a Directory Command Examples

The syntax is as follows:

 
rmdir dirName

Login using the ssh client or open a command-line terminal (select Applications > Accessories > Terminal under Gnome desktop), than type the following command to delete empty directory called foo:

 
rmdir foo

By default, the rm command does not remove directories. Use the --recursive (-r or -R) option to remove each listed directory, too, along with all of its contents including all files and subdirectories:

 
rm -r documents

You can also specifiy the full path:

 
rm -r /data/dir1
rm -r /home/vivek/dir2
rmdir $HOME/mp3

You should follow me on twitter here or grab rss feed to keep track of new changes.

Removing a Directory In Linux

Linux Delete a Directory Command Examples

Featured Articles:

Related Faqs