.\" Automatically generated by Pandoc 3.10.2
.\"
.TH "bup\-rm" "1" "2026\-09\-01" "Bup 0.34+"
.SH NAME
bup\-rm \- remove references to archive content
.SH SYNOPSIS
bup rm [\-#|\-\-verbose] <\f[I]branch\f[R]|\f[I]save\f[R]\&...>
.SH DESCRIPTION
\f[CR]bup rm\f[R] removes the indicated \f[I]branch\f[R]es (backup sets)
and \f[I]save\f[R]s.
By itself, this command does not delete any actual data (nor recover any
storage space), but it may make it very difficult or impossible to refer
to the deleted items, unless there are other references to them
(e.g.\ tags).
.PP
A subsequent garbage collection by \f[CR]bup gc\f[R] may permanently
delete data that is no longer reachable from the remaining branches or
tags and reclaim the related storage space.
(The same would apply to a \f[CR]git gc\f[R] on the repository, but the
safety of running \f[CR]git gc\f[R] on a bup repository has not been
carefully evaluated, and should be avoided.)
.PP
If you are familiar with \f[CR]git\f[R](1), removing branches is similar
to \f[CR]git branch \-D BRANCH\f[R] and removing saves is like a
\f[CR]git\-rebase \-\-interactive\f[R] that removes commits.
.PP
WARNING: This is one of the few bup commands that modifies your archive
in intentionally destructive ways.
.SH OPTIONS
.TP
\-v, \-\-verbose
increase verbosity (can be used more than once).
.TP
\-\f[I]#\f[R], \-\-compress=\f[I]#\f[R]
set the compression level to # (a value from 0\-9, where 9 is the
highest and 0 is no compression).
The default is 6.
This applies to the rewritten branches (commits).
.SH EXAMPLES
.IP
.EX
# Delete the backup set (branch) foo and a save in bar.
$ bup rm /foo /bar/2014\-10\-21\-214720
.EE
.SH SEE ALSO
\f[CR]bup\-gc\f[R](1), \f[CR]bup\-save\f[R](1), \f[CR]bup\-fsck\f[R](1),
and \f[CR]bup\-tag\f[R](1)
.SH BUP
Part of the \f[CR]bup\f[R](1) suite.
.SH AUTHORS
Rob Browning \c
.MT rlb@defaultvalue.org
.ME \c.