- 1How to Create a File in Linux
- 2How to Rename a File in Linux
- 3How to Copy a File in Linux
- 4How to Move a File in Linux
- 5How to Delete a File in Linux
- 6How to Create a Directory in Linux
- 7How to Delete a Directory in Linux
- 8How to Copy Directories Recursively in Linux
- 9Delete Directories Recursively in Linux
- 10How to View Hidden Files in Linux
- 11How to Create a Hidden File in Linux
- 12How to Create a Hidden Directory in Linux
- 13How to Find Files in Linux Using find Command
- 14Find Files in Linux Using locate Command
- 15How to View File Contents Using cat in Linux
- 16How to View File Contents Using less in Linux
- 17View File Contents Using the more Command in Linux
- 18Compare Files Using diff Command in Linux
- 19Compare Files in Linux Using cmp Command
- 20Check File Type in Linux with file Command
- 21Create Symbolic Links with ln -s in Linux
- 22How to Archive Files Using tar Command in Linux
- 23Compress Files with gzip in Linux – Beginner Tutorial
- 24How to Compress Files Using bzip2 in Linux
- 25Compress Files in Linux Using zip Command
- 26Extract Compressed Files using tar in Linux
- 27Extract ZIP Files on Linux with unzip
- 28How to Extract .gz Files using gunzip in Linux
How to Delete a Directory in Linux
How to Delete a Directory in Linux
In this tutorial, we’re going to learn how to delete directories in Linux—safely.
If you're just starting out, you might be wondering: "Why are there different commands to delete directories? And what happens if the folder has files inside it?" Don't worry—we'll cover it all in simple steps.
Deleting an Empty Directory: rmdir
Let’s start with the simplest case—deleting an empty folder. Linux gives us a command called rmdir
just for that.
rmdir myfolder
This will work only if myfolder
is completely empty.
rmdir: failed to remove 'myfolder': Directory not empty
See that error? If the folder has even a single file or subfolder inside, rmdir
won't work.
Deleting a Directory with Files: rm -r
Now here’s the real deal. If your directory contains files or other folders, use rm
with the -r
flag. It stands for “recursive”—which means it will go inside and delete everything.
rm -r myfolder
But be careful: this command is powerful. It deletes the folder and everything in it—forever.
Prompt Before Deletion: rm -ri
If you're nervous (which is totally normal), add the -i
flag to ask for confirmation before deleting each file:
rm -ri myfolder
rm: descend into directory 'myfolder'? y
rm: remove regular file 'myfolder/file1.txt'? y
rm: remove directory 'myfolder'? y
Great! Now you're in control.
Force Deletion (Use with Caution!): rm -rf
If you're absolutely sure and want to skip all prompts—even if files are read-only—you can use -f
for force:
rm -rf myfolder
Warning: This will delete everything inside myfolder
without asking. Only use it if you know what you're doing.
Summary
rmdir folder
— delete an empty directoryrm -r folder
— delete a folder and all its contentsrm -ri folder
— delete interactively with confirmationrm -rf folder
— force delete without confirmation
And that’s it! You now know how to safely delete directories in Linux. Practice on test folders first to get comfortable.
Next Topic ⮕How to Copy Directories Recursively in Linux
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