this post was submitted on 31 May 2025
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OK I'll bite, how do you get rid of a literal ~ directory?
rmdir ./~Just give rm the entire path or a relative path like ./~
A method not yet mentioned is by inode, (I've accidentally created filenames I didn't know how to escape at the time like
--or other command line flags/special characters)ls -liOnce you get the inode
find . -type f -inum $inode -deleteprefix with path, and/or quotation
Using Nautilus or Dolphin.
True if these are installed, but if I'm on a server's command line they probably aren't.
rm -rf "~" may work?
No, but single quotes will.
huh, I almost removed my entire home directory
In case you are just testing it out, don't use
-rfYour
~directory is most probably empty, so userm -dinstead, to prevent all footguns in case you put the wrong character in the end.I feel safe doing
rm -d /.I feel safe doing
sudo rm -d /.Because it won't delete anything that has a file in it.
I don't understand the eagerness of most people to go nuclear by adding potentially dangerous arguments when not required.
Use
rmdirto remove a directory you expect to be empty, notrm -rfIt's because they know how to use rm -rf, and they don't know how to use rmdir. Honestly, I can't think of a single time I've ever successfully removed a directory with rmdir. I always wind up using something else.
In these touchy cases always add '-i' to have a confirmation when doing dangerous things. This will save your ass.
why
-exec rmwhen find has a -delete flag?Is that some new-fangled GNU thing? It's certainly not POSIX.
Oh, for once the BSD version has more options than the GNU one.
Should be
\~in most shells, certainly bash. Usemkdirandrmdirwhen messing around to prevent accidents.Saw this post this morning and was thinking about how to delete it ( while falling back asleep ). Escaping the ~, ofc that'd work! I feel so stupid now haha