34

When I select the file and push delete this file is automatically landing in the trash. How can I delete files bypassing trash without using a mouse?

Braiam
  • 69,112
vrcmr
  • 6,397

3 Answers3

36

Select the files and leave SHIFT pressed while pressing the DELETE button or option.

Example: Select with CTRL several files while clicking on them.

Leave SHIFT pressed while pressing the DELETE button will delete them permanently.

To select multiple files. Click the first file and then leave SHIFT pressed while selecting the last file you want to select. It is the same thing as dragging the mouse while pressing the left mouse button.

Luis Alvarado
  • 216,643
31

In Nautilus -> Preferences select the following

alt text

to have the option to delete files rather than putting to trash in the right-click context menu.

Takkat
  • 144,580
1

Without using a mouse, you can delete (bypassing trash) straight from the command line, if you're comfortable doing that.

  1. Open a terminal window.
  2. Use the cd command to change directory to where the file is.
  3. Use the ls command to list the files in the directory you've changed into, to make sure you're looking at the right place. (Use ls | less if the output is too long to read; then q will quit from reading the list and back to the terminal.)
  4. Use the rm -v command to verbosely remove the file (deleting it, bypassing trash).
  5. If you get errors: rm -Rfv is necessary to forcibly Recursively remove a directory. And rm -fv will force other deletions that are sticking against your will.

For example:

me@mypc:~$ cd /home/steven/Downloads/
me@mypc:/home/steven/Downloads$ ls
file1
file2
file3
.
.
.
me@mypc:/home/steven/Downloads$ rm -v file14
'removed 'file14'
me@mypc: