---
name: "rmf"
section: "1mh"
platform: "linux"
package: "nmh"
version: "1.8-3"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/rmf/1mh"
---

# rmf(1mh)

remove an nmh folder

## NAME

rmf - remove an nmh folder

## SYNOPSIS

**rmf** \[**-help**\] \[**-version**\] \[*+folder*\] \[**-interactive** \| **-nointeractive**\]

## DESCRIPTION

**rmf** removes all of the messages (files) within the specified (or default) folder, and then removes the folder (directory) itself.

If there are any files within the folder which are not a part of **nmh**, they will *not* be removed, and an error will be produced. If the folder is given explicitly, or the **-nointeractive** option is given, then the folder will be removed without confirmation. Otherwise, the user will be asked for confirmation.  If **rmf** can't, for some reason, find the current folder the folder to be removed defaults to \`+inbox' (unless overridden by the user's profile entry “Inbox”), with confirmation.

If the folder being removed is a subfolder, the parent folder will become the new current folder, and **rmf** will produce a message telling the user this has happened. This provides an easy mechanism for selecting a set of messages, operating on the list, then removing the list and returning to the current folder, from which the list was extracted.

If **rmf** is used on a read-only folder, it will delete all the private sequences (i.e., .RI “atr- seq - folder ” entries) for this folder from your context without affecting the folder itself.

**rmf** irreversibly deletes messages that don't have other links, so use it with caution.

## FILES

```
^$HOME/.mh_profile~^The user profile
```

## PROFILE COMPONENTS

```
^Path:~^To determine the user's nmh directory
^Current-Folder:~^To find the default current folder
^Inbox:~^To find the default inbox
```

## SEE ALSO

[*folder*(1)](/folder/1.md), [*rmm*(1)](/rmm/1.md)

## DEFAULTS

```
`+folder' defaults to the current folder, usually with confirmation
`-interactive' if +folder' not given, `-nointeractive' otherwise
```

## CONTEXT

**rmf** will set the current folder to the parent folder if a subfolder is removed; or if the current folder is removed, it will make “inbox” current. Otherwise, it doesn't change the current folder or message.

## BUGS

Although intuitively one would suspect that **rmf** works recursively, it does not. Hence, if you have a sub-folder within a folder, in order to **rmf** the parent, you must first **rmf** each of the children.