Solaris Common Messages and Troubleshooting Guide

rmdir: string: Directory not empty

Cause

The rmdir(1) command can remove empty directories only. The directory whose name appears after the first colon in the message still contains some files or directories.

Action

Use rm(1) instead of rmdir(1). To remove this directory and everything underneath it, use the rm -ir command to recursively descend the directory, being asked if you want to delete each element. To remove the directory and all its contents without being asked for approval, use the rm -r command.