[DESKTOP] Simple Delete File in Dolphin without Moving through Trash first?

[AnneF]

In Dolphin, Is there any way to simply DELETE a file/folder without having to MOVE it to the Trash FIRST? This takes a really long time if it is a large file. I just want to quickly permanently delete a file or folder, and I can't find ANY way to do this simple task using Dolphin. If I click or press DELete, Dolphin insists on first moving it into Trash, which takes a Long time - a simple permanent delete (even for a Large File or Folder) should be FAST! Thanks...--AnneF

[GerardV]

Add "Delete" to the contex menu via "Settings - Configure Dolphin - Services" and select "Do not ask again" in the confirmation box when deleting a file.

[Don B. Cilly]

Actually, I wouldn't. Select "Do not ask again" in the confirmation box when deleting a file, that is.
I have it to "Yes, please ask". I guess you can imagine why ;-)

[EDIT] And actually, Shift-Del would do it anyway (whether confirming or not).

[DoYouKubuntu]

In Dolphin, Is there any way to simply DELETE a file/folder without having to MOVE it to the Trash FIRST? This takes a really long time if it is a large file. I just want to quickly permanently delete a file or folder, and I can't find ANY way to do this simple task using Dolphin. If I click or press DELete, Dolphin insists on first moving it into Trash, which takes a Long time - a simple permanent delete (even for a Large File or Folder) should be FAST! Thanks...--AnneF

I'm with you! I can't stand being prompted to confirm, or having to use a 'trash' feature. So, as @GerardV suggested, add 'delete' to your right-click menu, AND add a 'delete' button to Dolphin itself. Done!

[Don B. Cilly]

I can't stand being prompted to confirm

I also dislike being prompted to confirm, but I'll definitely make an exception for deleting files/folders.
It's just too easy to accidentally wreak great havoc.

I did have it set to "do not ask, just do it".
I'm not going to get caught twice on that one :-)

[EDIT] Honestly, it's dangerously close enough to "rename", and Murphy will guarantee you delete the chapter you've just spent four hours writing and you haven't got a backup of, yet.

[EDIT 2] I believe the only other thing I've left confirmations on for, is "What would you like to do with this executable file" (Open/Execute).
Which is not really dangerous, but if I haven't got an alias or a runner for it, I usually want to edit it

[DoYouKubuntu]

I also dislike being prompted to confirm, but I'll definitely make an exception for deleting files/folders.
It's just too easy to accidentally wreak great havoc.

I did have it set to "do not ask, just do it".
I'm not going to get caught twice on that one :-)

[EDIT] Honestly, it's dangerously close enough to "rename", and Murphy will guarantee you delete the chapter you've just spent four hours writing and you haven't got a backup of, yet.

[EDIT 2] I believe the only other thing I've left confirmations on for, is "What would you like to do with this executable file" (Open/Execute).
Which is not really dangerous, but if I haven't got an alias or a runner for it, I usually want to edit it

I see your points, but I'm just strongly annoyed by confirmation prompts!

When I started on UNIX in 1985, it was drilled into my brain that delete means delete, unequivocally, irrevocably, forever gone. So I treated destructive commands, such as rm -rf /whatever, with great respect.

I'm pleased to say that after 36 years, I haven't had a single catastrophe related to deleting files/directories. And--if I had--because I'm such a stickler for backups, it wouldn't have been the end of the world.

But the great thing about *nix is that we have the CHOICE of being prompted or not. That way we're all happy!

[ThorstenNY]

If I click or press DELete, Dolphin insists on first moving it into Trash, which takes a Long time

(emphasis mine)

This points to other potential problems, which have nothing to do with the (perceived) annoyance of confirmation prompts. Generally moving a file to the trash folder should be just as fast as permanently deleting it. It might take time if the trash folder and the folder from which files are deleted are on different partitions. Is this the case for you?

The only other issue I could think of is an extremely cluttered trash folder and a setting that makes the system trash auto-delete older files when new ones are added.

[jglen490]

Again, delete = trash, shift/delete = gone. "Annoying" prompts are a courtesy to you, and not a child-like hand-holding exercise.

[Fred47]

In Dolphin Preferences, click on the Trash icon and set it to delete files in 1 day. That way every day all (or at least most) files will be deleted permanently.

[oshunluvr]

I just add the "Delete" icon to the Dolphin icon bar and set "Trash" with no confirmation. I keep the confirmation requirement set for Delete though because when it's gone - it's gone, lol. However I always do a daily snapshot on a weekly cycle, so if it was there earlier in the week, it's still retrievable.

[Don B. Cilly]

Still... if Murphy is out to get you... no confirmation requirement will save you :-)
Just today, I had a picture I really wanted to show to my kids. On the phone.
I copied it over to the PC - with Kde-connect, and therefore Dolphin. It copied corrupt.
I switched back and forth between phone and PC to check... said oh well, I'll just delete the one on the PC and copy it over again.
I was in the wrong folder. So when confirmation popped up, I confirmed :?/

[jlittle]

Still... if Murphy is out to get you... when confirmation popped up, I confirmed :?/

btrfs with a regular snapshot tool would help you, maybe.

Sent from my VFD 822 using Tapatalk

[DoYouKubuntu]

Still... if Murphy is out to get you... no confirmation requirement will save you :-)
Just today, I had a picture I really wanted to show to my kids. On the phone.
I copied it over to the PC - with Kde-connect, and therefore Dolphin. It copied corrupt.
I switched back and forth between phone and PC to check... said oh well, I'll just delete the one on the PC and copy it over again.
I was in the wrong folder. So when confirmation popped up, I confirmed :?/

Oh no!!

Is that an Android phone? Do you use any auto-backup tools like Google Photos or Amazon Photos? If so, you should have a copy of the photo there.

Although I use, and love, KDE Connect, I don't use it for file transfers. For that I prefer to use my file manager, MiXplorer Silver:



As you can see, it makes very clear which device I'm on! If you're not already using a file manager on your phone, you might want to consider trying that. I find it much more efficient than KDEC for file manipulation.

[Don B. Cilly]

After 24 hours, I can see the thread again.
It is an Android phone, but I don't use auto-backups. I back up some stuff, locally. I dislike cloud backups.
I have a few "essential" things on Drive. Encrypted. A 64G SD card at a remote location with most of my whole system on it.
I might check out that file manager, thanks.

Btrfs... it wouldn't help in this case
To quote Dr. Asimov, "Against stupidity, the gods themselves, contend in vain". It was a stupid mistake.
And I do have a "regular snapshot tool", Timeshift - without brtfs.

If you'll allow a brief detour: I dislike brtfs.
The fact that it uses @ instead of /, for some unfathomable reason, gives me the willies.
It confuses my boot manager (rEFInd - probably for the same reason).
I tried to install one distro with it, on a small partition. Main OS (on EXT4) started taking minutes to boot. Complaining about brtfs.
I had to blacklist it before it went back to normal boot times (couldn't purge it because it would uninstall timeshift).
Which is good enough for me, thank you very much . Every time I go near btrfs, it makes my life sad :-/

[DoYouKubuntu]

After 24 hours, I can see the thread again.
It is an Android phone, but I don't use auto-backups. I back up some stuff, locally. I dislike cloud backups.
I have a few "essential" things on Drive. Encrypted. A 64G SD card at a remote location with most of my whole system on it.
I might check out that file manager, thanks.

You're welcome.

I'm actually not a fan of cloud-anything, as you'll know if you've read my comments about using my Chromebook prior to installing Kubuntu on it. But for 35 years, I've always had off-site and physical backups. Now that my only site is home, and cloud storage exists, I use Amazon Drive for occasional backups--in addition to multi-redundant physical backups!

I had a paid Dropbox account, but got disgusted with it and canceled it last year. At some point I reviewed my Amazon Prime benefits, and guess what I found? UNLIMITED full-resolution storage of photos is included! So I bought a very small Drive account for backing up everything that isn't a photo, paid annually to make it even cheaper, and am very happy with this solution. If you're already a Prime member, you might want to look into this. Or if you're not! It's a pretty good deal.