Question

I have a script that creates files, and sometimes they end up having two dashes at the beginning. Is there any way to delete them? mv doesn’t work either.

Here is the error I am getting:

$ ls
 --1355509766.jpg

$ rm --1355509766.jpg 
rm: illegal option -- -
usage: rm [-f | -i] [-dPRrvW] file ...
   unlink file

$ rm "--1355509766.jpg"
rm: illegal option -- -
usage: rm [-f | -i] [-dPRrvW] file ...
   unlink file

Answer 1

The usual trick is

rm ./--1355509766.jpg

Update: here’s what man rm has to say about this:

To  remove a file whose name starts with a '-', for example '-foo', use
one of these commands:

       rm -- -foo

       rm ./-foo