In Linux Ubuntu, removing all files from a directory is a common task that can be accomplished using various command-line utilities. In this tutorial will show you some methods to safely remove all files from a directory in linux ubuntu using the terminal without prompt.
Linux Command to Remove/Delete All Files in a Directory
Using the following methods, you can easily remove all files from directory or folder in linux ubuntu:
- Method 1: Using the
rmCommand - Method 2: Using
findCommand withrm
Method 1: Using the rm Command
The rm command is a standard Unix/Linux command used to remove files and directories. To remove all files within a directory, follow these steps:
Step 1: Open a Terminal: Press Ctrl + Alt + T to open a terminal window.
Step 2: Navigate to the Directory: Use the cd command to navigate to the directory from which you want to remove the files. For example:
cd /path/to/your/directory
Step 3: Remove Files: Run the following command to remove all files within the directory:
rm *
Let’s look of rm command with multiple options to remove all files in directory without prompt in linux ubunt, as shown below:
Example 1 – To delete multiple files at once using rm command:
rm filename1 filename2 filename3
Example 2 – Wildcard (*) and regular expansions to delete files
If you want to remove all .txt files in the current directory, use the following command:
rm *.pdf
Example 3 – Delete file with confirmation
You can use the rm with the -i option to confirm each file before deleting it:
rm -i filename(s)
Example 4 – Delete files in linux without confirmation
You can use the rm with the -f option to without prompting even:
rm -f filename(s)
Method 2: Using find Command with rm
The find command is powerful for searching and processing files. This method provides more flexibility, especially when dealing with nested directories.
Step 1: Open a Terminal: Open a terminal window as explained earlier.
Step 2: Navigate to the Directory: Use the cd command to navigate to the directory you want to clean up.
Step 3: Remove Files: Execute the following command to remove all files within the directory and its subdirectories:
find . -type f -delete
This command uses find to locate all files (-type f) within the current directory (.) and its subdirectories, then the -delete flag is used to remove them.
Conclusion
That’s it; You have learned how to remove all files from a directory in Linux Ubuntu using rm command and the find command with rm are two effective options.
