RMDIR(1)                   OpenBSD Reference Manual                   RMDIR(1)

NAME
     rmdir - remove directories

SYNOPSIS
     rmdir [-p] directory ...

DESCRIPTION
     The rmdir utility removes the directory entry specified by each directory
     argument, provided it is empty.

     Arguments are processed in the order given.  In order to remove both a
     parent directory and a subdirectory of that parent, the subdirectory must
     be specified first so the parent directory is empty when rmdir tries to
     remove it.

     The options are as follows:

     -p      Each directory argument is treated as a pathname of which all
             components will be removed, if they are empty, starting with the
             last most component.  (See rm(1) for fully non-discriminant re-
             cursive removal.)

     The rmdir utility exits with one of the following values:

     0       Each directory argument referred to an empty directory and was
             removed successfully.

     >0      An error occurred.

EXAMPLES
     $ rmdir foobar

     Remove the directory foobar if it is empty.

     $ rmdir -p cow/horse/monkey

     Remove all directories up to and including cow, stopping at the first
     non-empty directory (if any).

SEE ALSO
     rm(1), rmdir(2)

STANDARDS
     The rmdir utility is compliant with the IEEE Std 1003.1-2008 (``POSIX'')
     specification.

HISTORY
     A rmdir command appeared in Version 1 AT&T UNIX.

OpenBSD 4.7                    February 8, 2009                              1
