UNIX: Remove a file with a name starting with - character
Posted by Vivek Gite
[Last updated: November 29, 2007]
Q. Accidentally, I had created a file called -foo. Now how do I remove a file with a name starting with '-' under UNIX or Linux operating system?
A. Use standard UNIX rm command, as follows:
rm command
Use rm command to remove files or directories as follows
rm ./-foo
rm ./-filename
rm -- -foo
Alternatively, you can also use UNIX / Linux inode number to delete a file with strange names.
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Tags: inode number, linux operating system, remove strange names file, rm command, rm filename, unix linux
November 30th, 2007 at 7:03 pm
The following will work as well.
rm — \-foo
Any unix utility that uses getopt will see the — as an end of options.
December 12th, 2007 at 10:23 pm
[self-promotion warning, but I do think that it's topical ...]
I wrote an article for Sys Admin a while back about deleting files with unusual characters in their filenames on many Unix-likes.
Litter Delenda Est: part one
Litter Delenda Est: part two
January 2nd, 2008 at 1:03 pm
$ rm — -file
this will also work.