I have a file name named ? and I can't delete it!

[Michael Gretton]

How can I delete a file named ?. Since the ? is a wildcard it won't let me delete it!

Thanks,

Mike

[John Palmer]

rm -i "?"

Regards,
John

[James R. Ferguson]

Hi Michael:

You can escape the "?" with "\":

# rm -i filename\?

...or...

Using the interactive option of 'rm' and wildcards, respond "y" or "n" appropriately:

# rm -i file*

Regards!

...JRF...

[Jeff Machols]

rm "\?"

[Craig Rants]

You can do it inside the find command as well.

find . -type f -name ? -exec rm {} \;

GL,
C

[John Palmer]

To be pedantic, all the following will work:-

rm "?"
rm '?'
rm \?

rm "\?" will only remove a file called \?

Regards,
John

[Darrell Allen]

Hi Michael,

Actually, if the file is named ? it will be removed with: rm ?
Unfortunately, so will all other 1 character named files.

I'm sure you probably meant that you shouldn't use rm ? because it could delete other files as well.

For the find suggestion you need to quote and escape ? like so:
find . -name "\?"
Without quoting it will error. Without escaping it will act as a wildcard.

Use John's suggestions. And when in doubt, include the -i option to be safe.

Darrell

[Ravi_8]

Hi,

#rm \?

[Ravi_8]

Hi,

#rm \?
or
# mv \? x
#rm x

[Sanjay_6]

Hi Michael,

Try this,

cd to the directory where this file is present,

do a
# ls >test_file

edit "test_file" and remove all entries other than the file you want to remove.

insert and "rm " before the file name and then run this file,

# sh test_file

Hope this helps.

Regds

[Justo Exposito]

Hi Michael,

I make a new directory (for security reasons)and then I move it the file first to this, then I tried to rm \?.

Regards,

Justo.

[Rita C Workman]

Here's just one more way to remove a file with "character" in name..

cd where file is

ls -i (lists all file #'s)

find . -inum <#from above> -exec rm {} \;


Rgrds,
Rita

..because in UNIX we have so many ways to do the same thing !!

[Magdi KAMAL]

Hi Michael,


Just use the following command :

# rm "?"

and your file will be deleted.

Magdi

[Frank Slootweg]

While most of the posted solutions work for *this* case, i.e. "?", a more general solution is:

rm [-i] ./?

I.e. dot+slash+difficult_character(s) also works when, for example, the file has a leading minus sign (which rm(1) will interpret as an option, but the dot+slash prevents that).

[John Palmer]

rm ./? will still remove every file in the current directory.

If your 'difficult filename' starts with a - then another solution is:

rm [-i] --

where -- terminates the list of command options. This works for every command that uses getopt(3C) for analysing its arguments (most do).

Regards,
John

[Steve Steel]

Hi


Try

set noglob
mv \? notwanted
ll notwanted

If ok

rm notwanted


Steve Steel

[Frank Slootweg]

John wrote:

> rm ./? will still remove every file in the current directory.

It will only remove every file which has a *single-character* name (but *not* "."). But since these might exist, I said "[-i]", didn't I? :-) I assume(d) that the poster knew what "?" meant, because he said that it was a wildcard.

[Thierry Poels_1]

Hi,

does the filename really contain 1 character?? In my experience files listed with "?" mostly contain some escape codes.

so does "ls ?", "ls ??", ls "???", ls "????", ... show the file ???
when found, remove with "rm -i ???" or so.
To play safe, always add "-i" ;-)

good luck,
Thierry.