NAME
     rm, rmdir - remove directory entries

SYNOPSIS
     /usr/bin/rm [-f] [-i] file...
     /usr/bin/rm -rR [-f] [-i] dirname...[file...]

     /usr/xpg4/bin/rm [ -fiRr ] file...

     /usr/bin/rmdir [-ps] dirname...

AVAILABILITY
  /usr/bin/rm /usr/bin/rmdir
     SUNWcsu

  /usr/xpg4/bin/rm
     SUNWxcu4

DESCRIPTION
  rm
     The rm command removes the directory entry specified by each
     file  argument.   If  a file has no write permission and the
     standard input is a terminal, the full  set  of  permissions
     (in  octal)  for the file are printed followed by a question
     mark.  This is a prompt for  confirmation.   If  the  answer
     begins  with y (for yes), the file is deleted, otherwise the
     file remains.

     If file is a symbolic link, the link will  be  removed,  but
     the  file  or  directory  to  which  it  refers  will not be
     deleted.  Users do not need write  permission  to  remove  a
     symbolic  link,  provided they have write permissions in the
     directory.

     If multiple files are specified and removal of a file  fails
     for  any reason, rm will write a diagnostic message to stan-
     dard error, do nothing more to the current file, and  go  on
     to any remaining files.

     If the standard input is not a terminal,  the  command  will
     operate as if the -f option is in effect.

  rmdir
     The rmdir command will remove the directory entry  specified
     by each dirname operand, which must refer to an empty direc-
     tory.

     Directories will be processed in the order specified.  If  a
     directory and a subdirectory of that directory are specified
     in a single invocation of rmdir, the  subdirectory  must  be
     specified  before  the  parent  directory so that the parent
     directory will be empty when rmdir tries to remove it.

OPTIONS
     The following options apply to rm:

  /usr/bin/rm
     -f   Remove all files (whether write-protected or not) in  a
          directory  without  prompting  the  user.   In a write-
          protected directory, however, files are  never  removed
          (whatever  their  permissions are), but no messages are
          displayed.  If the removal of a write-protected  direc-
          tory  is  attempted,  this  option will not suppress an
          error message.

  /usr/xpg4/bin/rm
     -f   Do not prompt for confirmation. Do not write diagnostic
          messages  or modify the exit status in the case of non-
          existent operands.  Any previous occurences of  the  -i
          option will be ignored.

  /usr/xpg4/bin/rm
     -i   Interactive.  With this option, rm prompts for  confir-
          mation  before removing any files.  It overrides the -f
          option and remains in effect even if the standard input
          is not a terminal.

  /usr/xpg4/bin/rm
     -i   Prompt for confirmation.   Any  occurences  of  the  -f
          option will be ignored.

     -r   Recursively remove directories  and  subdirectories  in
          the  argument  list.   The directory will be emptied of
          files and removed.  The user is normally  prompted  for
          removal  of  any write-protected files which the direc-
          tory contains.  The write-protected files  are  removed
          without  prompting,  however, if the -f option is used,
          or if the standard input is not a terminal and  the  -i
          option is not used.

          Symbolic links that are encountered  with  this  option
          will not be traversed.

          If the removal of a non-empty,  write-protected  direc-
          tory  is  attempted, the command will always fail (even
          if the -f option is used), resulting in an  error  mes-
          sage.

     -R   Same as -r option.

     The following options apply to rmdir:

     -p   Allow users to remove the  directory  dirname  and  its
          parent  directories  which  become empty.  A message is
          printed on the standard error about whether  the  whole
          path  is  removed  or part of the path remains for some
          reason.

     -s   Suppress the message printed on the standard error when
          -p is in effect.

OPERANDS
     The following operand is supported:

     file      A path name of a directory entry to be removed.

     dirname   A path name of an empty directory to be removed.

EXAMPLES
  rm
     The following command:
          example% rm a.out core

     removes the directory entries:  a.out and core.

     The following command:

          example% rm -rf junk

     removes the directory junk and  all  its  contents,  without
     prompting.

  rmdir
     If a directory a in the current directory is empty except it
     contains a directory b and a/b is empty except it contains a
     directory c,

          example% rmdir -p a/b/c

     will remove all three directories.

ENVIRONMENT
     See environ(5) for descriptions of the following environment
     variables  that  affect  the  execution  of  rm  and  rmdir:
     LC_COLLATE, LC_CTYPE, LC_MESSAGES, and NLSPATH.

EXIT STATUS
     The following exit values are returned:

     0         If the -f option was not specified, all the  named
               directory entries were removed; otherwise, all the
               existing named directory entries were removed.

     >0        An error occurred.

SEE ALSO
     rmdir(2), unlink(2), environ(5)

DIAGNOSTICS
     All messages are generally self-explanatory.

     It is forbidden to remove the files "." and ".."   in  order
     to  avoid  the consequences of inadvertently doing something
     like the following:
          rm -r .*

NOTES
     A -- permits the user to mark explicitly the end of any com-
     mand  line  options, allowing rm to recognize file arguments
     that begin with a -.  As an aid to BSD  migration,  rm  will
     accept - as a synonym for --.  This migration aid may disap-
     pear in a future release.  If a -- and a -  both  appear  on
     the  same  command line, the second will be interpreted as a
     file.