find / | grep name_of_files >> test rm `cat test` Better still... rm `find/ | grep name_of_file` Better command... rm `ls -l | grep "/pkgs/nmh" | awk '{print $9}'` Lists files in a directory that happened to symlinks to /pkgs/nmh; retrieves the name of that file {print $9}; and the whole miserable load is purged via the command "rm". Example of ls -l output: lwrxwrxwrx 1 simon group 154 May 10 13:34 inc -> /pkgs/nmh/etc Note "inc" is in the ninth position The BEST delete of all!! Deleting huge files find . -type f | xargs rm