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brew / rank 6222

Install safe-rm with Homebrew, apt, Nix

Wraps rm to prevent dangerous deletion of files. Version 1.1.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-09-13. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install safe-rm.

Install commandSecurity notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install safe-rm

local Homebrew formula metadata

Linux

Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install safe-rm

Debian stable package indexes · safe-rm · source: deb.debian.org

Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#safe-rm

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/sa/safe-rm/package.nix · source: api.github.com

overview

Package summary

Wraps rm to prevent dangerous deletion of files

Commands and aliases

  • safe-rm

history

Project history and usage

safe-rm wraps the standard removal command and blocks deletion of paths listed in system or user configuration files.

Project history

safe-rm was created and maintained by François Marier as a wrapper that refuses to remove configured protected files and directories.

Version 0.11 moved the per-user configuration toward the XDG Base Directory convention. Version 0.13 added `/usr/local/etc/safe-rm.conf` for macOS Catalina, and version 1.0.0 was a complete rewrite in Rust.

Adoption history

safe-rm entered Debian and Ubuntu archives early enough for Ubuntu Precise to carry version 0.8 in 2010. It later became available through Homebrew and Nix as well as current Debian-family distributions.

How it is used

Administrators place protected paths in a system configuration file, while individual users can add personal protections under the XDG configuration directory. `safe-rm` then intercepts removal requests and refuses targets matching those rules.

It is intended as a guard against accidental destructive commands, not as a trash or recovery system.

Why package nerds care

safe-rm represents a classic Unix package pattern: preserve the familiar `rm` interface while adding a locally maintained denylist for irreplaceable paths. Its long distribution history, XDG migration, macOS-specific system configuration support, and eventual language rewrite make it a compact case study in maintaining a safety wrapper across Unix variants.

Timeline

  • 2010: Version 0.8 was published in Ubuntu Precise
  • 2014: Version 0.11 adopted an XDG user-configuration location
  • 2020: Version 0.13 added `/usr/local/etc/safe-rm.conf` support for macOS
  • 2020: Version 1.0.0 completed the Rust rewrite
  • 2021: Version 1.1.0 added explicit protection for individual symbolic links

Related projects

  • GNU coreutils rm
  • trash-cli and desktop trash implementations

Sources

  • Official Launchpad overview: https://launchpad.net/safe-rm
  • Official announcements: https://launchpad.net/safe-rm/+announcements
  • Official code page: https://code.launchpad.net/safe-rm

security posture

Risk level: green

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

Risk classifier

green risk · low confidence · appliance

Why

  • narrow executable package without higher-risk signals

Signals

  • metadata:no-higher-risk-signals

Install behavior

  • No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
  • Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 12 platform targets.
  • Build metadata lists 1 build dependencies.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

local files

Configuration and credential file locations

These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.

Configuration files

Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.

Unix
/etc/safe-rm.conf/usr/local/etc/safe-rm.conf~/.config/safe-rm

executables

Installed executables

CommandKindExposureNote
safe-rmcliglobal executable

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-09-19
manager version1.1.0
manager updated2026-09-13
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected

https://launchpad.net/safe-rm

install metadata

Package metadata

Package keybrew:safe-rm
Version1.1.0
Package managerHomebrew
Package manager pagehttps://formulae.brew.sh/formula/safe-rm
Homepagehttps://launchpad.net/safe-rm
Upstream docshttps://launchpad.net/safe-rm
LicenseGPL-3.0-or-later
Source archivehttps://launchpad.net/safe-rm/trunk/1.1.0/+download/safe-rm-1.1.0.tar.gz
Last updated2026-09-13T13:47:42Z
Pulseupdated
Build dependenciesrust
Bottleavailable (on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, monterey, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-installnot defined
Servicenone declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source DatabaseHomebrew formula API
Taphomebrew/core
Full Namesafe-rm
Version Scheme0
Revision0
Head VersionHEAD
Bottle Stable Root URLhttps://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecatedno
Disabledno
Keg Onlyno
URL Keys
  • head
  • stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Debian apt95%

safe-rm 1.1.0-5+b7

wrapper around the rm command to prevent accidental deletions

https://launchpad.net/safe-rm

sudo apt install safe-rm
  • Section: utils
  • Architecture: amd64
  • Source Package: safe-rm
  • 2 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Safe Rm
Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: safe-rm from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz
Nix95%

safe-rm

nix profile install nixpkgs#safe-rm
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Safe Rm
nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/sa/safe-rm/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
Ubuntu apt95%

safe-rm 1.1.0-5

wrapper around the rm command to prevent accidental deletions

https://launchpad.net/safe-rm

sudo apt install safe-rm
  • Section: universe/utils
  • Architecture: amd64
  • 2 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Safe Rm
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: safe-rm from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

Related tools

  • rustBuild dependency declared by Homebrew.

Same workflow

  • ezaShares pkgdb curated category or tags: cli, file-management, rust, system.
  • dustShares pkgdb curated category or tags: cli, file-management, rust, system.
  • lsdShares pkgdb curated category or tags: cli, file-management, rust, system.
  • czkawkaShares pkgdb curated category or tags: cli, file-management, rust, system.
  • llaShares pkgdb curated category or tags: cli, file-management, rust, system.
  • rmtrashShares pkgdb curated category or tags: cli, file-deletion, file-management, system.

source trail

Generated from repository data

This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.

Used sources

  • Geiger risk classifier
  • cross-ecosystem install command graph
  • curated configuration and credential file locations
  • curated package history
  • external package-manager database matches
  • package relationship graph
  • package version freshness
  • package-page enrichment
  • pkg.so package database
  • pkgdb category and tag curation