Remove all files except some from a directory

Question

When using sudo rm -r, how can I delete all files, with the exception of the following:

textfile.txt
backup.tar.gz
script.php
database.sql
info.txt

Answer 1

find [path] -type f -not -name 'textfile.txt' -not -name 'backup.tar.gz' -delete

If you don't specify -type f find will also list directories, which you may not want.

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Or a more general solution using the very useful combination find | xargs:

find [path] -type f -not -name 'EXPR' -print0 | xargs -0 rm --

for example, delete all non txt-files in the current directory:

find . -type f -not -name '*txt' -print0 | xargs -0 rm --

The print0 and -0 combination is needed if there are spaces in any of the filenames that should be deleted.

Answer 2

rm !(textfile.txt|backup.tar.gz|script.php|database.sql|info.txt)

The extglob (Extended Pattern Matching) needs to be enabled in BASH (if it's not enabled):

shopt -s extglob

Answer 3

Trying it worked with:

rm -r !(Applications|"Virtualbox VMs"|Downloads|Documents|Desktop|Public)

but names with spaces are (as always) tough. Tried also with Virtualbox\ VMs instead the quotes. It deletes always that directory (Virtualbox VMs).

Answer 4

Rather than going for a direct command, please move required files to temp dir outside current dir. Then delete all files using rm * or rm -r *.

Then move required files to current dir.

Answer 5

Assuming that files with those names exist in multiple places in the directory tree and you want to preserve all of them:

find . -type f ! -regex ".*/\(textfile.txt\|backup.tar.gz\|script.php\|database.sql\|info.txt\)" -delete

Answer 6

Since nobody mentioned it:

• copy the files you don't want to delete in a safe place
• delete all the files
• move the copied files back in place