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 directory
rm -r folder — delete a folder and all its contents
rm -ri folder — delete interactively with confirmation
rm -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.

How to Delete a Directory in Linux