Windows
Linux
File Management
Deletion
Windows del /s equivalent in Linux
Finds matching files under a tree and deletes them.
Windows
→
del /s
Linux equivalents
find . -name "PATTERN" -type f -delete
find . -name "PATTERN" -type f -delete
find . -name "PATTERN" -type f -delete
Overview
What this command does
Finds matching files under a tree and deletes them.
Migration tip: Check the distro-specific rows before copying; package names and service names can differ even when the tool name is similar.
Practical tasks
Common use cases
Delete recursively by pattern
Finds matching files under a tree and deletes them.
find . -name "PATTERN" -type f -delete
Delete recursively by pattern
find --help
Show command help when supported
man find
Open the manual page when installed
Ready to run
Copyable Linux commands
Review paths, device names, package names and permissions before running any command.
find . -name "PATTERN" -type f -delete
Walkthrough
Examples with explanations
# Windows equivalent: del /s
find . -name "PATTERN" -type f -deleteReference
Common options and variations
| Command or option | Use |
|---|---|
find . -name "PATTERN" -type f -delete | Delete recursively by pattern |
find --help | Show command help when supported |
man find | Open the manual page when installed |
Distro differences
Debian/Ubuntu vs Fedora vs Arch
The equivalent is shown for Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch. Some rows use a different package manager or helper tool where Linux distributions commonly diverge.
| Distribution | Package manager / base | Equivalent command | Difference to notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian/Ubuntu | same command | find . -name "PATTERN" -type f -delete |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Fedora | same command | find . -name "PATTERN" -type f -delete |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Arch | same command | find . -name "PATTERN" -type f -delete |
Same command on this distribution. |
Keep learning