GNU Emacs Manual - Dired Deletion

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## Deleting Files with Dired

The primary use of Dired is to flag files for deletion and then delete the files previously flagged.

`d`
  Flag this file for deletion.
`u`
  Remove deletion flag on this line.
``DEL``
  Move point to previous line and remove the deletion flag on that line.
`x`
  Delete the files that are flagged for deletion.

You can flag a file for deletion by moving to the line describing the file and typing `d` (`dired-flag-file-deletion`). The deletion flag is visible as a ``D'` at the beginning of the line. This command moves point to the next line, so that repeated `d` commands flag successive files. A numeric argument serves as a repeat count.

The files are flagged for deletion rather than deleted immediately to reduce the danger of deleting a file accidentally. Until you direct Dired to expunge the flagged files, you can remove deletion flags using the commands `u` and `DEL`. `u` (`dired-unmark`) works just like `d`, but removes flags rather than making flags. `DEL` (`dired-unmark-backward`) moves upward, removing flags; it is like `u` with argument -1.

To delete the flagged files, type `x` (`dired-expunge`). This command first displays a list of all the file names flagged for deletion, and requests confirmation with `yes`. If you confirm, Dired deletes the flagged files, then deletes their lines from the text of the Dired buffer. The shortened Dired buffer remains selected.

If you answer `no` or quit with `C-g` when asked to confirm, you return immediately to Dired, with the deletion flags still present in the buffer, and no files actually deleted.

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