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rm

Delete storage files and directories through Studio.

Synopsis

usage: datachain rm [-h] [-v] [-q] [--recursive] [--team TEAM] path

Description

This command deletes files and directories within storage using the credentials configured in Studio. The command supports both individual files and directories, with the --recursive flag required for deleting directories. This is a destructive operation that permanently removes files and cannot be undone.

Arguments

  • path - Path to the storage file or directory to delete

Options

  • --recursive - Delete directories recursively (required for deleting directories)
  • --team TEAM - Team name to delete storage contents from (default: from config)
  • -h, --help - Show the help message and exit
  • -v, --verbose - Be verbose
  • -q, --quiet - Be quiet

Examples

  1. Delete a single file: 

    datachain rm s3://my-bucket/data/file.txt

  2. Delete a directory recursively: 

    datachain rm --recursive s3://my-bucket/data/images

  3. Delete a file from a different team's storage: 

    datachain rm --team other-team s3://my-bucket/data/file.txt

  4. Delete a file with verbose output: 

    datachain rm -v s3://my-bucket/data/file.txt

  5. Delete a directory quietly (suppress output): 

    datachain rm -q --recursive s3://my-bucket/temp-data

  6. Delete a specific subdirectory: 

    datachain rm --recursive s3://my-bucket/datasets/raw/old-version

Supported Storage Protocols

The command supports the following storage protocols: - AWS S3: s3://bucket-name/path - Google Cloud Storage: gs://bucket-name/path - Azure Blob Storage: az://container-name/path

Limitations and Edge Cases

Directory Operations

  • Recursive flag required: Deleting directories requires the --recursive flag. Without it, the operation will fail
  • Directory structure: When deleting directories, all files and subdirectories within the directory are removed

Error Handling

  • File not found: If the source file or directory doesn't exist, the operation will fail
  • Permission errors: Insufficient permissions will result in operation failure
  • Storage service errors: Network issues or storage service problems will be reported with appropriate error messages
  • Directory not empty: Attempting to delete a non-empty directory without --recursive will fail

Team Configuration

  • Default team: If no team is specified, the command uses the team from your configuration
  • Team-specific storage: Each team has its own storage namespace, so deleting from other teams requires explicit team specification

Safety Considerations

  • Permanent deletion: This operation permanently removes files and cannot be undone
  • Batch operations: Large directories may contain many files and deletion may take time

Notes

  • The delete operation is performed through Studio using the configured credentials
  • Deleting large directories may take time depending on the number of files and network conditions
  • Use the --verbose flag to get detailed information about the delete operation
  • The --quiet flag suppresses output except for errors
  • This command operates through Studio, so you must be authenticated with datachain auth login before using it
  • Warning: This is a destructive operation. Always double-check the path before executing the command