Remove everything except? [duplicate]

Question

Possible Duplicate:
Remove all files but one with rm

In unix, to remove zip files in a directory one can simply type

rm *.zip

How can one remove everything except zip files?

James T · Accepted Answer · 2011-01-17 03:58:22Z

8

rm !(*.zip)

This appears to work. The ! represents "not".

extglob needs to be enabled in the shell behavior settings for this to work. It is probably already enabled... but if not, enable it with:

shopt -s extglob

And after answering this... indeed Ignacio Vazquez-Abrams you are correct. It is pretty much duplicate.

answered Jan 17, 2011 at 3:42

James T

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Thank you for adding the mention of extglob! I was able to run this command in the normal interactive prompt without a hitch, but then when trying something like echo !(*.zip) in a script, I would always get a syntax error. Adding that option fixed it!
– eacousineau
May 4, 2014 at 13:57

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user61724user61724 · Accepted Answer · 2011-01-17 03:55:48Z

0

Try creating a list then removing the file from the list.

Ex.

ls $yourDir | grep -v .zip > deleteThis.list

the call

xargs rm < deleteThis.list

answered Jan 17, 2011 at 3:55

user61724

3

Why not just rm $(ls | grep -v *.zip) ? :)
– user1931
Jan 17, 2011 at 4:02
There's that too! :)
– user61724
Jan 17, 2011 at 16:28
1

@JohnT I know you posted that answer more than six years ago, but it helped me today. Thank you!!!
– ShiningLight
Aug 17, 2017 at 20:17

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2 Answers 2