.TH VAULT-RM 1 "October 2026" "vault" "User Commands"
.SH NAME
vault-rm \- delete stored files or folders
.SH SYNOPSIS
.B vault rm
.RB [ \-f ]
.RB [ \-\-key
.IR PATH ]
.RB [ \-\-vault
.IR DIR ]
.I NAME
.br
.B vault rm \-r
.RB [ \-f ]
.RB [ \-\-key
.IR PATH ]
.RB [ \-\-vault
.IR DIR ]
.I FOLDER
.br
.B vault delete
\&...
.SH DESCRIPTION
Deletes the stored file
.I NAME
from the vault: its catalogue record and every encrypted object holding
its contents, so the space is freed on disk straight away.
.PP
With
.BR \-r ,
deletes
.I FOLDER
and everything at or under it. Because there is no undo, it first lists
what it will delete (the first 20 names, then a count) with the total size,
and asks on the terminal. Anything but
.B y
or
.B yes
deletes nothing, and so does having no terminal to ask on. A trailing
.B /
on
.I FOLDER
is ignored, and
.B vault rm \-r /
is refused rather than emptying the vault.
.PP
Each deleted file is reported on standard error, and
.B \-r
ends with the number of files and their total size. The vault is locked
exclusively for the whole run. A key sees only its own files, so the
decoy passphrase never deletes real files, or the other way round.
.SH OPTIONS
.TP
.B \-r
Delete a folder and everything under it.
.TP
.B \-f
Do not ask before a recursive delete, and do not fail when there is
nothing to delete.
.TP
.BR \-rf ", " \-fr
Both of the above.
.TP
.BI \-\-key " PATH"
Key file. Default: $VAULT_KEY, else ~/.vault/key.
.TP
.BI \-\-vault " DIR"
Vault directory. Default: $VAULT_DIR, else ~/.vault/store.
.SH ENVIRONMENT
.TP
.B VAULT_PASSPHRASE
Passphrase, instead of prompting on the terminal.
.SH EXIT STATUS
0 if everything asked for was deleted, or there was nothing to delete with
.BR \-f .
1 if the name is not in the vault, the delete was declined, or anything
fails; files already deleted stay deleted.
.SH EXAMPLES
.RS
vault rm notes.md
.br
vault rm \-r old/2024          # asks first
.br
vault rm \-rf tmp              # no questions
.RE
.SH SEE ALSO
.BR vault (1),
.BR vault\-list (1)
.SH AUTHOR
Andy Dixon <vault@dixon.cx>, https://www.dixon.cx