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cgp
Asked: 2009-07-09 09:27:21 +0800 CST

How to delete file with option character in name in Linux?

  • 772

I've got a file called -T on my linux box, and, I thought I could do 

 rm "-T"

or

 rm "\-T"

or

 rm \-T

or

 rm *T

Alas, I've run out of simple tricks (or I'm misuing them).

I keep getting the error message: 

rm: invalid option -- T

I'm pretty sure I could delete this file with some FTP client, but that feels like cheating. Can someone point me in the right direction?

command-line-interface

6 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    A lot of *nix commands have a '--' option, which means "this is where the options end, anything from here onwards that looks like an option, isn't".

    rm -- -filename

    Not 100% sure if rm supports that, I'm a bit rusty.

    • 19

  2. Use the "--" option to tell rm that there are no more options coming.

     rm -- -T

    You can also put a "./" in front of the file like this:

     rm ./-T

    As a third option, you can often use a graphic file viewer and drag it into the trash.

    • 15

  3. Try prefixing your file with ./ I think this works.

    • 7

  4. I just had to try:

    gw:~/kana # rm -T
rm: invalid option -- 'T'
Try `rm ./-T' to remove the file `-T'.
Try `rm --help' for more information.
gw:~/kana # rm ./-T
    • 2

  5. Put the current directory in front of the file name, which will prevent the program from thinking you're passing it a parameter.

    $ rm ./-T

    -Kevin

    • 1

  6. Well, back in the day you could use ls -il or stat to print out the inode of the file then use find with an -inode flag and use -exec to call rm on that file!

    I guess the post-early 90's are still calling me...... :)

    • 1