How to Delete a Non-Empty Directory Using the rm Command

March 2, 2024 / How-to Guide

In this article, we will explain how to delete a Non-Empty directory using the rm command.

  1. To delete non-empty directories, use the rm command, which is primarily for file removal. You can combine it with options such as -r, -rf, and -d to delete directories. Below is the command syntax:
    rm option FileOrFolderName
  2. To remove both the directory and its contents, use the -r or recursive option.
    For example, you can execute the following command that will delete “Simple-Directory,” including all its subdirectories and files:Note: When using the rm -r command to delete a directory, be aware that it will also delete all of its contents. Exercise caution and ensure you have a backup if you need to recover any data.

    rm -r Simple-Directory
  3. While attempting to delete a write-protected directory, the command line interface will prompt for confirmation. To delete a directory in Linux without any confirmation you can use the -rf option.
    rm -rf Simple-Directory
  4. In Linux, you can use the rm command to delete empty directories as well. Just remember to include the -d option.
    rm -d Simple-Directory
  5. Like the rmdir command, you can also use rm to delete multiple directories. Simply include the directory names as additional arguments in the command line:
    rm -r Directory_1 Directory_2 Directory_3

By following this method, you can delete a non-empty directory using the rm command. If you are looking for an article, on how to Delete an Empty Directory in Linux,  please refer to the corresponding article.

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