rm normally produces an error when you delete a nonexistent file. However, under -f, you get no error message. I would argue this is a bug. -- Jeremy Hetzler ------------------------------------- 520 $ /bin/rm nonexistent /bin/rm: cannot remove `nonexistent': No such file or directory 521 $ /bin/rm -f nonexistent 522 $ rm --version rm (GNU coreutils) 8.5 Packaged by Cygwin (8.5-2) Copyright (C) 2010 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later . This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law. Written by Paul Rubin, David MacKenzie, Richard M. Stallman, and Jim Meyering.