How to completely remove files in Linux?
To completely delete files on Linux, you can use any of the following methods:
- Delete files and empty the recycle bin using the “rm” command: in the terminal, enter “rm -rf file path,” where the “-rf” option indicates forceful removal without confirmation, and it will also delete directories (if specified). Please use this command carefully as deletion is irreversible.
- To completely delete a file using the “shred” command: input “shred -u file path” in the terminal, where the “-u” option means to overwrite the content of the file after deleting it to ensure it cannot be recovered. This command will overwrite the content of the file multiple times, resulting in slower deletion speeds.
- Permanently delete a file using the “wipe” command: simply enter “wipe file path” in the terminal, this command will overwrite the file’s contents with random data to ensure it cannot be recovered. It can also be specified for multiple overwrites.
Please note that these methods will permanently delete files, so please proceed with caution to avoid accidentally deleting important data.