Question

What does rf in rm -rf in Unix stand for?

More generally, I have a hard time remembering Unix commands and options because I don’t understand what they stand for. Is there a resource that explain the meaning of these shorthands?

Answer 1

In rm,

• -r stands for recursive
• -f stands for force

Doc :

man rm

said :

    -f, --force
           ignore nonexistent files and arguments, never prompt


    -r, -R, --recursive
           remove directories and their contents recursively