how to delete a file started with '-'

Question

How can I delete a file whose name started with '-'?

For example, if I have a file named -a and I delete it with:

    rm -a

I will get:

    rm: invalid option -- 'a'
    Try 'rm --help' for more information.

So how can I do it?

Ask and Learn · Answer 1 · 2013-09-28T07:27:07.007

1

rm "\-a" worked on my Mac, try again please

edited Sep 28 '13 at 07:27

answered Sep 28 '13 at 07:18

Ask and Learn

still not working! I'm using 10.5.4. maybe it is too old for that :) – Soosh Sep 28 '13 at 07:32
mmm, try "rm -- -a" then – Ask and Learn Sep 28 '13 at 07:32

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Sep 28 '13 at 07:20

1

You may try like this:

rm ./-foo
rm ./-filename
rm -- -foo

answered Sep 28 '13 at 07:20

Rahul Tripathi

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Sep 28 '13 at 07:14

0

use unlink command:
unlink -a...

answered Sep 28 '13 at 07:14

Soosh

score 0 · Answer 4 · answered Sep 28 '13 at 07:18

0

-- indicates the rest are arguments, not options.

rm -- -a

answered Sep 28 '13 at 07:18

shx2

score 0 · Answer 5 · answered Sep 28 '13 at 07:19

0

You can still get away with rm by saying:

rm ./-a

answered Sep 28 '13 at 07:19

Sergo Pasoevi

score 0 · Answer 6 · answered Sep 28 '13 at 07:19

0

If you have GNU versions of rm or unlink, you can delete the file with:

rm -- -a

or

unlink -- -a

The -- tells it to stop processing command-line arguments and treat a leading - as a literal.

answered Sep 28 '13 at 07:19

Jim Stewart

6 Answers6