How to remove a file whose name starts with '-' [duplicate]

Question

After a mistake in a script I ended up with a file whose name starts with a dash, -:

-myfile.txt

I tried so far:

rm -myfile.txt
rm: illegal option -- m
usage: rm [-f | -i] [-dPRrvW] file ...
       unlink file

rm "-myfile.txt"
rm: illegal option -- m
usage: rm [-f | -i] [-dPRrvW] file ...
       unlink file

rm "\-myfile.txt"
rm: \-myfile.txt: No such file or directory

rm \-myfile.txt
rm: illegal option -- m
usage: rm [-f | -i] [-dPRrvW] file ...
       unlink file

rm "-"myfile.txt
rm: illegal option -- m
usage: rm [-f | -i] [-dPRrvW] file ...
       unlink file

How can I delete this file?

Bastille

FAQ: rm -- filename – Arcograph

Possible duplicates here and here – Gloria

thanks @ajp15243. I didn't find it when searching – Bastille

Answer 1

Thanks to @ajp15243 : the answer is :

rm ./-myfile.txt

or

rm -- -myfile.txt

Bastille

I think devnull deserves some credit for the -- answer too :). You are encouraged to accept your answers to your own questions if that's what solved the problem. It will mark the question as solved for the next person who comes searching through SO for answers. – Gloria

Sure, but I actually understood what he meant thanks to your post ! (I can accept my answer in 2 days!) – Bastille

Answer 2

Use the absolute pathname

Like rm /home/name/-myfile.txt

Me

Answer 3

you could always try the inode solution :

$ ls -al -i | grep me
2116530 -rw-rw-r--  1 user123 user123       0 Feb 27 12:39 me

and 2116530 is the inode of the file. Then you can use find to delete it

find ./ -inum 2116530 --delete

or even

find ./ -inum 2116530 -exec rm {\} \;

Coraliecoraline

Answer 4

try this one put your file name in "-" eg: rm "-myfile.txt"

Aether