Removing a file name with a space

[Gabriel McCray]

How would I remove a filename with a space such as:

test 1

Based on some research, I thought it was impossible to run into something like this.

What should I do?

[Robert-Jan Goossens · Accepted solution]

Hi,

try this one

# rm -- test 1

or

# rm -- "test 1"

[A. Clay Stephenson]

No, the dumb UNIX box did just what you asked BUT it may not be a space - possibly a control character.

First do an ls -b to make sure that there are no non-printables in the filename.

Now, rm 'test 1' or if control characters are embedded rm -i test* and answer y to the file you want to delete.

[TwoProc]

try
rm -i ./*test*

Then, when the correct filename pops up on the list, answer yes. To all others, answer no. This should do it for you.

[Dave La Mar]

Gab -
Back up one directory, then -

rm -i directory/tes*

Regards,
dl

[Eileen Millen]

Hi Gabriel,

The easiest way is to go into the file manager with the GUI interface.

Eileen

[Michael Steele_2]

cd dir
ls -i *

find -inum -exec rm -f {} \;

Example:

find . -inum 17321 -exec rm -f {} \;

[Jose Mosquera]

Hi,

If you have a graphical ftp tool will be very easy, connect as "root", select and delete it!

Rgds.

[Scott Van Kalken]

I prefer the rm -i option as well.

It's a neat way to see all of the other weird characters that are there too.

[Bill Hassell]

Unix does indeed allow you to create almost any filename with characters from the keyboard. A lot depends on the program (or shell) used to create the filename. But as you've seen, there are many ways to remove filenames with special characters.

[Alex Lavrov]

the best way to do it, is like in the first reply:
rm -- "test 1"

"--" option is a very useful thing, it says to rm, that from now on there will be no options, only the file names, did u ever try to remove file named "-alex" ? :)

good luck.