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Asked: 2024-09-25T19:49:13+05:30 In:

I’m encountering an issue while trying to delete a directory using the rm command in Ubuntu. Despite having the proper permissions, I’m receiving a “permission denied” message. Can anyone help me figure out how to successfully remove this directory?

I’m having a frustrating time trying to delete a directory on my Ubuntu machine using the `rm` command. I figured it shouldn’t be a big deal since I checked and I definitely have the right permissions to do so. But every time I run the command, I get hit with a “permission denied” message. It’s super annoying because I really need to clear up some space.

I’ve tried a couple of different approaches. First, I made sure I was using the right syntax, like `rm -r my-directory`. I even threw an `sudo` in front of it just in case there was some sort of underlying permission problem happening that I wasn’t aware of. But nope, same frustrating message. I double-checked the ownership of the directory with `ls -l`, and everything seemed to check out. It’s not a case of being the wrong user or anything like that.

To complicate things, this directory is nested inside another directory where I’ve had to do some weird workarounds before. Could that be messing with the permissions somehow? I did try to navigate to the parent directory and delete it from there, but I still saw the same denial.

Another thing I thought might help is rebooting the machine. Sometimes things get a bit wonky, and a fresh start can fix weird permission issues, right? But even after that, no luck. I can’t seem to figure out what’s going wrong. Is there a specific command I should be using that I might not know about? Or is there a way to check if some process might be using files inside that directory which could be locking me out?

If anyone has run into this problem before or has some suggestions on what I could try next, I’d really appreciate it. I’m just trying to declutter my system and it feels like this directory is refusing to cooperate! Thanks in advance for any advice you can throw my way!

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    2 Answers



    1. Help with Deleting a Directory on Ubuntu

      Deleting a Directory on Ubuntu – Need Help!

      It sounds super frustrating! Deleting directories in Ubuntu can be tricky sometimes, especially if there are permission issues or if something is holding onto files inside the directory.

      Here are a few things you could try:

      • Check for Open Files: You can use the command lsof +D my-directory to see if any files in that directory are in use. If there is a process holding onto a file, you might need to stop it first.
      • Check Directory Permissions: Use ls -ld my-directory to see if the permissions are what you expect. You should see something like drwxr-xr-x. Make sure you (the user) have the right permissions.
      • Force Remove: If you’re feeling risky, try sudo rm -rf my-directory. This command can force the removal without worrying about permissions, but be careful as it will delete everything without asking!
      • Unmounting Filesystems: If the directory is a mount point for something, you might need to unmount it using sudo umount /path/to/my-directory.

      Permission Issues:

      If you’ve checked everything and it still says “permission denied”, there might be some special permissions in place such as immutable or something like that. Check using the command lsattr my-directory. If you see an i in the output, it means the directory is immutable, and you can remove that with sudo chattr -i my-directory.

      If All Else Fails:

      As a last resort, you could try booting into Recovery Mode and then delete it from there. This might help if it’s a really stubborn directory!

      Hope one of these helps, and good luck clearing up that space!


    2. It sounds like you’re facing a common issue with directory deletion in Ubuntu, especially when permissions and nested directories are involved. Since you’ve already tried `rm -r my-directory` and even prefixed it with `sudo`, it’s important to check if there are any immutable or special attributes set on the directory that could be blocking the deletion. You can inspect the attributes of the directory using the command lsattr my-directory. If you see an ‘i’ in the output, that indicates the directory is immutable. You can remove this attribute with sudo chattr -i my-directory before attempting the deletion again.

      Another possibility is that some processes might be accessing files within the directory, which would prevent deletion. To check for any processes using files in the directory, use the command lsof +D my-directory. If there are any active processes, you’ll need to stop them before you can successfully delete the directory. If you’re still having trouble, you could also consider using rm -rf my-directory while ensuring that no processes are using it. This command forcefully removes the directory and its contents recursively, but be cautious as it does not prompt for confirmation. If all else fails, booting into recovery mode may help in removing stubborn directories as well.

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