rtrash

One native FreeDesktop trash tool — rm-compatible put, full trash-cli suite, optional Python bindings. Recoverable by design.

FreeDesktop rm-compatible Linux Rust + Python

put → list → restore → empty

suite demo · source / re-record

Why rtrash#

Permanent os.remove / bare rm is instant and unforgiving. Desktop environments already share a FreeDesktop trash layout — rtrash is a single Rust binary (and library) that puts files there with GNU rm–shaped flags, then lists, restores, empties, and selectively purges like the trash-cli suite — without CPython startup on every call.

Need	Use
Safer interactive delete	`rtrash path` or multi-call `rm` → trash
Scripts / tests	pin with `--trash-dir` ; isolate `XDG_DATA_HOME`
Python instead of permanent unlink	`rtrash.unlink(path)` after `import rtrash`
See reclaim before empty	`rtrash empty --dry-run`

Install (shortest path)#

CLI#

cargo install rtrash
# or: cargo binstall rtrash   # prebuilt musl on x86_64 / aarch64 Linux
rtrash setup   # multi-call links + completions + man under ~/.local

Python#

pip install rtrash
python -c "import rtrash; rtrash.unlink('scratch.txt')"

Details, multi-call symlinks, and MSRV: Getting started.

What you get#

FreeDesktop-correct home and per-mount trash, atomic .trashinfo reservation
rm-compatible put (-rf, -i / -I last-wins, preserve-root, exit 0/1/2)
Suite: put / list / restore / empty / selective trash-rm
Fast empty: parallel top-level wipe, d_type unlinks, optional btrfs subvol destroy
Dry-run reclaim: empty -n reports approximate space that would be freed
Python: in-process unlink / rmtree over the same core as the CLI