rm Usage: rm [OPTION]... FILE... Remove (unlink) the FILE(s). -d, --directory unlink directory, even if non-empty (super-user only) -f, --force ignore nonexistent files, never prompt -i, --interactive prompt before any removal -r, -R, --recursive remove the contents of directories recursively -v, --verbose explain what is being done --help display this help and exit --version output version information and exit To remove a file whose name starts with a `-', for example `-foo', use one of these commands: rm -- -foo rm ./-foo Note that if you use rm to remove a file, it is usually possible to recover the contents of that file. If you want more assurance that the contents are truly unrecoverable, consider using shred.