trashy: Safe file deletion with Rust-based trash tool

Introduction

trashy is a Rust-based alternative to rm and trash-cli, designed to safely move files to a trash can instead of deleting them outright. This post covers the basics and common workflows with practical examples.

Quick start

  • Install (examples; your package manager or cargo can vary):
    • Using cargo:
cargo install trashy
  • Or via your distro’s package manager if available.
  • Verify installation:
trashy --version

Basic usage: move files to trash

  • Move a single file to the trash:
trash path/to/file
  • Move multiple files to the trash:
trash path/to/file1 path/to/file2 /another/path/file3

List and inspect trash contents

  • List items currently in the trash:
trash list

Restore files from the trash

  • Restore a specific file:
trash restore path/to/file
  • Restore all files from the trash:
trash restore --all

Remove files from the trash (per-file or all)

  • Remove a specific file from the trash:
trash empty path/to/file
  • Remove all files from the trash:
trash empty --all

Tips and pitfalls

  • When in doubt, list the trash first to confirm what you’re about to restore or permanently remove:
trash list
  • If you accidentally trash the wrong file, use restore quickly:
trash restore path/to/wrong-file
  • Replace multiple files only if you’re sure they are no longer needed; the empty —all option is irreversible for the trash on most systems.
  • Ensure your PATH includes the trashy binary directory (e.g., ~/.cargo/bin) after installation:
export PATH="$PATH:$HOME/.cargo/bin"

Common workflows

  • Quick delete-and-restore cycle:
trash important/document.pdf
trash list
trash restore important/document.pdf
  • Clean slate:
trash empty --all

Troubleshooting

  • If trashy isn’t found after install, verify where cargo bins are installed and update PATH:
which trashy
  • If the trash shows up empty but files are missing, check if your system has a separate trash directory or permissions issues.

Conclusion

trashy provides a straightforward, safer alternative to rm by moving files to a trash bin first. Start with a small set of files, verify the trash contents, and gradually adopt the workflow for day-to-day file management.

See Also