---
name: "rcsclean"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "rcs"
version: "5.10.1-3"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux", "openbsd"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/rcsclean"
---

# rcsclean(1)

clean up working files

## NAME

rcsclean - clean up working files

## SYNOPSIS

**rcsclean** \[*options*\] \[ *file* ... \]

## DESCRIPTION

**rcsclean** removes files that are not being worked on. **rcsclean -u** also unlocks and removes files that are being worked on but have not changed.

For each *file* given, **rcsclean** compares the working file and a revision in the corresponding RCS file.  If it finds a difference, it does nothing. Otherwise, it first unlocks the revision if the **-u** option is given, and then removes the working file unless the working file is writable and the revision is locked. It logs its actions by outputting the corresponding **rcs -u** and **rm -f** commands on the standard output.

Files are paired as explained in [**ci**(1)](/ci/1.md). If no *file* is given, all working files in the current directory are cleaned. Filenames matching an RCS suffix denote RCS files; all others denote working files.

The number of the revision to which the working file is compared may be attached to any of the options **-n**, **-q**, **-r**, or **-u**. If no revision number is specified, then if the **-u** option is given and the caller has one revision locked, **rcsclean** uses that revision; otherwise **rcsclean** uses the latest revision on the default branch, normally the root.

**rcsclean** is useful for **clean** targets in makefiles. See also [**rcsdiff**(1)](/rcsdiff/1.md), which prints out the differences, and [**ci**(1)](/ci/1.md), which normally reverts to the previous revision if a file was not changed.

## OPTIONS

- **-k***subst*

  Use *subst* style keyword substitution when retrieving the revision for comparison. See [**co**(1)](/co/1.md) for details.

- **-n**\[*rev*\]

  Do not actually remove any files or unlock any revisions. Using this option will tell you what **rcsclean** would do without actually doing it.

- **-q**\[*rev*\]

  Do not log the actions taken on standard output.

- **-r**\[*rev*\]

  This option has no effect other than specifying the revision for comparison.

- **-T**

  Preserve the modification time on the RCS file even if the RCS file changes because a lock is removed. This option can suppress extensive recompilation caused by a [**make**(1)](/make/1.md) dependency of some other copy of the working file on the RCS file. Use this option with care; it can suppress recompilation even when it is needed, i.e. when the lock removal would mean a change to keyword strings in the other working file.

- **-u**\[*rev*\]

  Unlock the revision if it is locked and no difference is found.

- **-V**

  Print RCS's version number.

- **-V***n*

  Emulate RCS version *n*. See [**co**(1)](/co/1.md) for details.

- **-x***suffixes*

  Use *suffixes* to characterize RCS files. See [**ci**(1)](/ci/1.md) for details.

- **-z***zone*

  Use *zone* as the time zone for keyword substitution; see [**co**(1)](/co/1.md) for details.

## EXAMPLES

**rcsclean  \*.c  \*.h**

removes all working files ending in **.c** or **.h** that were not changed since their checkout.

**rcsclean**

removes all working files in the current directory that were not changed since their checkout.

## FILES

**rcsclean** accesses files much as [**ci**(1)](/ci/1.md) does.

## ENVIRONMENT

- **RCSINIT**

  Options prepended to the argument list, separated by spaces. A backslash escapes spaces within an option. The **RCSINIT** options are prepended to the argument lists of most RCS commands. Useful **RCSINIT** options include **-q**, **-V**, **-x**, and **-z**.

- **RCS\_MEM\_LIMIT**

  Normally, for speed, commands either memory map or copy into memory the RCS file if its size is less than the *memory-limit*, currently defaulting to \`\`unlimited''. Otherwise (or if the initially-tried speedy ways fail), the commands fall back to using standard i/o routines. You can adjust the memory limit by setting **RCS\_MEM\_LIMIT** to a numeric value *lim* (measured in kilobytes). An empty value is silently ignored. As a side effect, specifying **RCS\_MEM\_LIMIT** inhibits fall-back to slower routines.

- **TMPDIR**

  Name of the temporary directory. If not set, the environment variables **TMP** and **TEMP** are inspected instead and the first value found is taken; if none of them are set, a host-dependent default is used, typically **/tmp**.

## DIAGNOSTICS

The exit status is zero if and only if all operations were successful. Missing working files and RCS files are silently ignored.

## IDENTIFICATION

Author: Walter F. Tichy.\
 Manual Page Revision: 5.10.1; Release Date: 2022-02-03.\
 Copyright © 2010-2022 Thien-Thi Nguyen.\
 Copyright © 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993 Paul Eggert.\
 Copyright © 1982, 1988, 1989 Walter F. Tichy.\

## SEE ALSO

[**ci**(1)](/ci/1.md), [**co**(1)](/co/1.md), [**ident**(1)](/ident/1.md), [**rcs**(1)](/rcs/1.md), [**rcsdiff**(1)](/rcsdiff/1.md), [**rcsmerge**(1)](/rcsmerge/1.md), [**rlog**(1)](/rlog/1.md), [**rcsfile**(5)](/rcsfile/5.md).

Walter F. Tichy, RCS--A System for Version Control, *Software--Practice & Experience* **15**, 7 (July 1985), 637-654.

The full documentation for RCS is maintained as a Texinfo manual. If the [**info**(1)](/info/1.md) and RCS programs are properly installed at your site, the command

-

  **info rcs**

should give you access to the complete manual. Additionally, the RCS homepage:

-

  **http://www.gnu.org/software/rcs/**

has news and links to the latest release, development site, etc.

## BUGS

At least one *file* must be given in older Unix versions that do not provide the needed directory scanning operations.\