> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://ploegert.gitbook.io/til/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://ploegert.gitbook.io/til/os/unix/terminal/command-line-length-limitations.md).

# Command Line Length Limitations

The other day I tried to run a `rm` command on the contents of a directory with a **LOT** of files.

```
$ rm images/*
```

Instead of deleting the contents of the directory, the following message was displayed:

```
/bin/rm: cannot execute [Argument list too long]
```

Bash wanted to expand the entire command before executing it. It was too long. But what is too long?

It turns out that we can figure out the max length of commands with the following command:

```
$ getconf ARG_MAX
```

For me, the result is `262144`.

[source 1](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/11289551/argument-list-too-long-error-for-rm-cp-mv-commands) and [source 2](http://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/argument-list-too-long-error-solution/)