You can use standard UNIX/Linux rm command. All you have to do is instruct the rm command not to follow end of command line flags by passing double dash -- option before -foo file name.
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Many user creates these kind of file accidentally with dashes. If you attempt to remove such file via rm command, UNIX and Linux will attempt to use them as command-line options and the command will display out with an error. So how do you get rid of these files and delete them on a UNIX?
rm command syntax
Use rm command to remove files or directories as follows:
rm -- -foo
OR
rm ./-foo
OR
rm ./-filename
Other options: Unix remove file with dash
Some more options remove the —- Dashes —- on a Unix-like system:
rm ./-Foo rm "./---bar" rm -- -F rm -- ---footbal ## Edit file ## vi "./--foo" |
Alternatively, you can also use UNIX / Linux inode number to delete a file with strange names.
The following will work as well.
rm — \-foo
Any unix utility that uses getopt will see the — as an end of options.
[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.
$ rm — -file
this will also work.
I had a directory named “–help” on accident.
# rm — “–help”
rm: cannot remove `–help’: Is a directory
so you have to do it this way:
# rm -rf — “–help”
thanks man it help
my 4050n nerowtk printer doesn’t work with large images and certain pdf files in linux.. windows 7 it works flawlessly. I was impressed with Ubuntu’s printing , but it isn’t up to windows spec. It’s also a lot slower with my nerowtk printer.
i typed dash on linux terminal and it changed. now their is only $ sign but not its full [user_name@user]$
please tell me how to disable this dash