The [UNIX command]() `rm -rf` for node. Install with `npm install rimraf`. ## Major Changes from v3 to v4 - The function returns a `Promise` instead of taking a callback. - Built-in glob support removed. - Functions take arrays of paths, as well as a single path. - Native implementation used by default when available, except on Windows, where this implementation is faster and more reliable. - New implementation on Windows, falling back to "move then remove" strategy when exponential backoff for `EBUSY` fails to resolve the situation. - Simplified implementation on Posix, since the Windows affordances are not necessary there. ## API Hybrid module, load either with `import` or `require()`. ```js // default export is the main rimraf function, or use named imports import rimraf from 'rimraf' // or const rimraf = require('rimraf') // other strategies exported as well import { rimraf, rimrafSync, native, nativeSync } from 'rimraf' // or const { rimraf, rimrafSync, native, nativeSync } = require('rimraf') ``` ### `rimraf(f, [opts]) -> Promise` This first parameter is a path or array of paths. The second argument is an options object. Options: - `preserveRoot`: If set to boolean `false`, then allow the recursive removal of the root directory. Otherwise, this is not allowed. - `tmp`: Windows only. Temp folder to use to place files and folders for the "move then remove" fallback. Must be on the same physical device as the path being deleted. Defaults to `os.tmpdir()` when that is on the same drive letter as the path being deleted, or `${drive}:\temp` if present, or `${drive}:\` if not. - `maxRetries`: Windows and Native only. Maximum number of retry attempts in case of `EBUSY`, `EMFILE`, and `ENFILE` errors. Default `10` for Windows implementation, `0` for Native implementation. - `backoff`: Windows only. Rate of exponential backoff for async removal in case of `EBUSY`, `EMFILE`, and `ENFILE` errors. Should be a number greater than 1. Default `1.2` - `maxBackoff`: Windows only. Maximum total backoff time in ms to attempt asynchronous retries in case of `EBUSY`, `EMFILE`, and `ENFILE` errors. Default `200`. With the default `1.2` backoff rate, this results in 14 retries, with the final retry being delayed 33ms. - `retryDelay`: Native only. Time to wait between retries, using linear backoff. Default `100`. Any other options are provided to the native Node.js `fs.rm` implementation when that is used. This will attempt to choose the best implementation, based on Node.js version and `process.platform`. To force a specific implementation, use one of the other functions provided. ### `rimraf.sync(f, [opts])` `rimraf.rimrafSync(f, [opts])` Synchronous form of `rimraf()` Note that, unlike many file system operations, the synchronous form will typically be significantly _slower_ than the async form, because recursive deletion is extremely parallelizable. ### `rimraf.native(f, [opts])` Uses the built-in `fs.rm` implementation that Node.js provides. This is used by default on Node.js versions greater than or equal to `14.14.0`. ### `rimraf.nativeSync(f, [opts])` `rimraf.native.sync(f, [opts])` Synchronous form of `rimraf.native` ### `rimraf.manual(f, [opts])` Use the JavaScript implementation appropriate for your operating system. ### `rimraf.manualSync(f, [opts])` `rimraf.manualSync(f, opts)` Synchronous form of `rimraf.manual()` ### `rimraf.windows(f, [opts])` JavaScript implementation of file removal appropriate for Windows platforms. Works around `unlink` and `rmdir` not being atomic operations, and `EPERM` when deleting files with certain permission modes. First deletes all non-directory files within the tree, and then removes all directories, which should ideally be empty by that time. When an `ENOTEMPTY` is raised in the second pass, falls back to the `rimraf.moveRemove` strategy as needed. ### `rimraf.windows.sync(path, [opts])` `rimraf.windowsSync(path, [opts])` Synchronous form of `rimraf.windows()` ### `rimraf.moveRemove(path, [opts])` Moves all files and folders to the parent directory of `path` with a temporary filename prior to attempting to remove them. Note that, in cases where the operation fails, this _may_ leave files lying around in the parent directory with names like `.file-basename.txt.0.123412341`. Until the Windows kernel provides a way to perform atomic `unlink` and `rmdir` operations, this is unfortunately unavoidable. To move files to a different temporary directory other than the parent, provide `opts.tmp`. Note that this _must_ be on the same physical device as the folder being deleted, or else the operation will fail. This is the slowest strategy, but most reliable on Windows platforms. Used as a last-ditch fallback by `rimraf.windows()`. ### `rimraf.moveRemove.sync(path, [opts])` `rimraf.moveRemoveSync(path, [opts])` Synchronous form of `rimraf.moveRemove()` ### Command Line Interface ``` rimraf version 4.0.4 Usage: rimraf [ ...] Deletes all files and folders at "path", recursively. Options: -- Treat all subsequent arguments as paths -h --help Display this usage info --preserve-root Do not remove '/' recursively (default) --no-preserve-root Do not treat '/' specially --impl= Specify the implementationt to use. rimraf: choose the best option native: the built-in implementation in Node.js manual: the platform-specific JS implementation posix: the Posix JS implementation windows: the Windows JS implementation move-remove: a slower Windows JS fallback implementation Implementation-specific options: --tmp= Folder to hold temp files for 'move-remove' implementation --max-retries= maxRetries for the 'native' and 'windows' implementations --retry-delay= retryDelay for the 'native' implementation, default 100 --backoff= Exponential backoff factor for retries (default: 1.2) ``` ## mkdirp If you need to _create_ a directory recursively, check out [mkdirp](https://github.com/isaacs/node-mkdirp).