How to Remove Files and Directories in Linux [5 Best Methods]

Removing files and directories in Linux is not just about tidying up your system—it’s also important for optimizing performance and freeing up storage. You can do this in the top five ways using the Linux CLI. But this process comes with its own set of risks. That’s why I’ll also highlight seven important precautions to ensure you avoid accidental deletions and lose your critical data.

How to Remove Files and Directories in Linux [5 Ways]

To remove files and directories in Linux, you can use the rm command for individual files, rmdir for empty directories, and rm -r for directories and their contents. To delete multiple files or directories, simply specify their names after the rm command. Apart from these commands, you can add wildcard characters to delete files and directories based on certain patterns. Here’s the detailed guide for each of these methods:

1. Removing Individual Files

Removing individual files in Linux is a very common and simple task. It lets you delete only a specific file without affecting other files or directories on your Linux system. To remove a specific file, you can follow these steps: 

1. Right-click and click the Open in Terminal option from the context menu.

2. Navigate to the location where the file is located using the cd command.

3. Delete the file using the rm command followed with the file name: 

rm filename.txt

4. Next, run the ls command to confirm the deletion of the file from the current directory.

2. Removing Empty Directories

The purpose of removing empty directories in Linux is to clean up the file system by getting rid of directories that do not contain any files or subdirectories. It helps to maintain a well-organized directory structure by eliminating unnecessary empty directories. Removing empty directories can be done by using the rmdir command. Here’s how you can use this command: 

1. Launch the Terminal and run the ls command to view the files:

2. Next, execute the rmdir command, followed by the directory name that you want to delete.

rmdir mydirectory

3. The rmdir command removes only empty directories. That is, if a directory contains files or other directories, it will not be deleted. You can verify it again using the ls command. Your final output should look like this:

3. Removing Directories and Their Contents

To remove directories and all their contents, including files and subdirectories, you can use the rm command with the -r option. Follow these steps to use this method:

1. Launch the command prompt and navigate to the directory using the following command.

cd directoryname

2. Execute the following command to remove directories and their content:

rm -r directoryname

3. Adding the -r option with the rm command recursively removes the specified directory and its contents.

4. Removing Multiple Files and Directories

This method lets you remove multiple files and directories in Linux with a single command. It saves time and effort when dealing with large-scale file and directory deletions. Here are the steps to follow to remove multiple files and directories simultaneously in Linux: 

1. Enter the command line interface and navigate to the location where the files and directories are located.

cd directoryname

2. Run the following command to remove certain files or directories from your Linux system:

rm filename1.txt filename2.txt directoryname

3. Once the command is executed, it will remove the specified files and directories from your Linux system.

5. Deleting Files and Directories Based on Patterns

Deleting files and directories based on patterns using wildcard characters in Linux serves the purpose of selectively removing specific types of files or directories that match a given pattern or file extension. To delete files and directories based on patterns using wildcard characters in Linux, follow these steps: 

1. Launch the command prompt by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T.

2. Run the following command to delete files based on a certain pattern:

rm *.zip

3. The wildcard character * matches any sequence of characters, while the .zip specifies the desired file extension. The rm command with the specified pattern will delete all the files that match that pattern in the current directory.

7 Precautions When Removing Files and Directories in Linux

When removing files and directories in Linux, it’s important to take certain precautions and follow some best practices. This will let you ensure that the process is carried out accurately and safely. Here are seven precautions to keep in mind:

• 🔍 Verify the items: Double-check the names and paths of the files and directories you intend to delete. Ensure you are targeting the correct items to avoid the accidental removal of important data. You can use the ls command to list the files and directories in the specified location. This will help you in confirming their names and paths before the deletion.

• 💾 Backup important files: Before removing any files or directories, you should create backups of critical data. This will let you ensure that even if something is mistakenly deleted, you have a copy that can be restored. You can use the cp command to create backups by copying the files or directories to a different location or storage device. Here is the complete syntax of this command: cp -r /path/to/source /path/to/backup

• ⚠️ Understand the consequences: Deleting files and directories using the rm command is permanent and cannot be undone. Ensure you fully comprehend the impact of the deletion and confirm that you no longer need the files or directories. It’s recommended to be absolutely certain before proceeding with the deletion.

• ❗️ Be cautious with wildcards: If you are using wildcards (e.g., “*“, “?“) to match multiple files or directories, exercise caution. Ensure that the wildcard pattern matches the intended items to avoid unintentionally deleting unrelated data. You can use the ls command with the wildcard pattern to preview the files that will be affected before running the deletion command. This command should look like this: ls /path/to/files/*.
• 🔑 Consider permissions: Pay attention to the file and directory permissions before attempting to remove them. Make sure you have the necessary permissions to delete the files or directories or use the appropriate commands (e.g., sudo) if required. You can use the ls -l /path/to/files command to view the permissions of the files and directories.
• ⚠️ Test in a safe environment: If you are uncertain about the consequences of deleting specific files or directories, consider testing the removal process in a safe environment or using a test directory. This allows you to observe the results without impacting critical data. You can create a test directory using mkdir directory_name and perform the deletion operations on the files within that directory.
• 💾 Backup system configuration: If you remove system files or directories, ensure a system configuration backup. This helps restore the system to its previous state in case of any unintended issues occur. You can use appropriate backup tools and techniques specific to your Linux distribution to create backups of system configuration files.

In a Nutshell

From this guide, you’ve gained valuable knowledge on removing directories and files in Linux using its command line tools. It lets you efficiently declutter your Linux system, organize files, and optimize its performance at its maximum level. However, remember to follow the precautions discussed in the guide to avoid unintended deletions and protect your data. 

If you are interested to learn more about Linux file management, you should check out my articles on running binary files, concatenating the text within the files, and getting the absolute path of files to perform advanced operations more efficiently. Continue your learning journey and unlock even more possibilities to become a proficient Linux user. Keep on learning!

Frequently Asked Questions