javimosch trash-cli
A command line interface to the freedesktop.org trashcan. It trashes files recording the original path, deletion date, and permissions. It uses the same trashcan used by KDE, GNOME, and XFCE.
Installation
# Via Homebrew (Linux/macOS)
brew install trash-cli
# Via pip
pip install trash-cli
# Via apt (Debian/Ubuntu)
sudo apt install trash-cli
# Via pacman (Arch Linux)
sudo pacman -S trash-cli
# Via dnf (Fedora)
sudo dnf install trash-cli
Commands Overview
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
trash-put |
Move files/directories to trash |
trash-list |
List trashed files |
trash-restore |
Restore trashed files |
trash-empty |
Permanently delete trashed files |
trash-rm |
Remove specific files from trash |
trash-put
Move files or directories to the trash can.
trash-put <file> # Trash a file
trash-put <dir>/ # Trash a directory
trash-put -f <file> # Silently ignore nonexistent files
trash-put -v <file> # Verbose output
Options
-f, --force- Silently ignore nonexistent files-v, --verbose- Explain what is being done--trash-dir TRASHDIR- Use TRASHDIR as trash folder
Notes
- Unlike
rm,trash-putdoes not require-Rfor directories - Files trashed from home partition go to
~/.local/share/Trash/ - Files from other partitions go to
$partition/.Trash/$uidor$partition/.Trash-$uid
trash-list
List all trashed files.
trash-list # List all trashed files
trash-list | grep <pattern> # Search for specific files
trash-list --all-users # List trashcans of all users
Output Format
2008-06-01 10:30:48 /home/user/bar
2008-06-02 21:50:41 /home/user/baz
Format: deletion_date original_path
trash-restore
Restore trashed files to their original location.
trash-restore # Interactive restore
trash-restore --overwrite # Overwrite existing files
trash-restore --sort date # Sort by date (default)
trash-restore --sort path # Sort by path
Interactive Mode
$ trash-restore
0 2007-08-30 12:36:00 /home/andrea/foo
1 2007-08-30 12:39:41 /home/andrea/bar
2 2007-08-30 12:39:41 /home/andrea/baz
What file to restore [0..2]: 0
- Enter the number to restore that file
- Use
0-2,3to restore multiple files - Use
--overwriteto replace existing files
trash-empty
Permanently remove files from trash.
trash-empty # Remove ALL trashed files
trash-empty 7 # Remove files older than 7 days
trash-empty 1 # Remove files older than 1 day
Examples
# Delete everything in trash
trash-empty
# Keep only files from the last 7 days
trash-empty 7
# Keep only today's files
trash-empty 1
trash-rm
Remove specific files from trash (by pattern).
trash-rm <pattern> # Remove files matching pattern
trash-rm '*.o' # Remove all .o files
trash-rm foo # Remove all files named "foo"
trash-rm /full/path # Remove by original path
Note: Use quotes to protect pattern from shell expansion.
trash-rm '*.log' # Correct
trash-rm *.log # Wrong - shell will expand
Safety Tips
Replace rm with trash-put
Add to .bashrc or .zshrc:
# Remind yourself not to use rm directly
alias rm='echo "Use trash-put instead!"; false'
# Or use a safer alias
alias rm='trash-put'
To bypass the alias when you really need rm:
\rm file.txt
Recovery Workflow
- Check what's in trash:
trash-list - Find your file:
trash-list | grep <filename> - Restore:
trash-restore
Trash Location
- Home partition:
~/.local/share/Trash/ - Other partitions:
$mount_point/.Trash/$uidor$mount_point/.Trash-$uid
Limitations
- Does not support BRTFS volumes
- Cannot trash files from read-only filesystems
FAQ
Creating a top-level .Trash directory
If you need to create a trash directory on a different partition:
sudo mkdir --parent /.Trash
sudo chmod a+rw /.Trash
sudo chmod +t /.Trash
Should I alias rm to trash-put?
The author advises against this. Although trash-put seems compatible with rm, it has different semantics that will cause problems. For example, while rm requires -R for deleting directories, trash-put does not.
Instead, use a warning alias:
alias rm='echo "This is not the command you are looking for."; false'
To bypass when you really need rm:
\rm file.txt