How can I remove a file called "--help" with bash command line?

Question

I've somehow managed to create a file with the name "--help". If I try to remove the file using "rm" funny stuff happens. Please help

here's a printout of the dir listing:

[pavel@localhost test]$ ls -la
total 3640
drwxrwxr-x.  5 pavel pavel    4096 Jun 19 18:33 .
drwxrwxr-x.  6 pavel pavel    4096 Jun  9 12:23 ..
-rw-rw-r--.  1 pavel pavel 1070592 Jun 12 09:40 --help

Humor bonus for "please help". – tripleee Jun 20 '13 at 12:16 — tripleee, Jun 20 '13 at 12:16

Mathias R. Jessen · Accepted Answer · 2013-12-13T21:36:13.113

12

Either

rm ./--help

or

rm -- '--help'

See Utility Syntax Guideline 10 in the POSIX.1-2008 specification for a description of the end-of-options indicator, --

edited Dec 13 '13 at 21:36

answered Jun 20 '13 at 07:24

Mathias R. Jessen

271

3

Prefer the first one, please. '--' will not be understood by some commands (and even some old versions of rm !) – Olivier Dulac Jun 20 '13 at 09:27

score 4 · Answer 2 · answered Jun 20 '13 at 07:24

4

#!/usr/bin/env python

import os
os.unlink("--help")

Or you can do it interactively.

answered Jun 20 '13 at 07:24

thanasisk

151

3

you could actually do it directly from command line:
python -c "import os; os.unlink('--help')"
– tutuDajuju Jun 20 '13 at 07:30

score 4 · Answer 3 · edited Mar 20 '17 at 10:18

4

Can you do...?:

ls -il
find . -inum [NUMBER] -exec rm -i {} \;

Super stolen from Squeezy.

edited Mar 20 '17 at 10:18

Community

1

answered Jun 20 '13 at 08:54

dav_i

141

1

That's overkill. Just use -- to set end-of-options. – ott-- Jun 20 '13 at 13:18

How can I remove a file called "--help" with bash command line?

3 Answers3