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p4 obliterate

Synopsis

Remove files and their history from the depot

Syntax

p4 [g-opts] obliterate [-y] file ...

Description

p4 obliterate can be used by Perforce superusers to permanently remove files from the depot. All the information about the files are wiped out, including the files' revisions, the files' metadata, and any records in any labels or client workspace records that refer directly to those files. Once p4 obliterate completes, it appears to the server as if the files never existed. Files in the client workspace will not be touched, but are not recognized as being under Perforce source control.

p4 obliterate requires at least one file pattern as an argument. To actually perform the obliterate, the -y flag is required; without it, p4 obliterate tells you what it would do without actually doing it.

Options


`-y`	Perform the obliterate operation. Without this flag, `p4 obliterate` merely reports what it would do.
`g_opts`	See global options section.

Usage Notes


Can File Arg Use Revision Specifier?	Can File Arg Use Revision Range?	Minimal Access Level Required
No	No	`super`

This is the only command in Perforce that actually removes file data. In contrast, p4 delete leaves the file information intact in the depot but marks the latest revision as deleted. With p4 delete, file recovery from the server data is always possible; the use of p4 obliterate precludes that possibility.
p4 obliterate can be used to reclaim disk space from files that are not used any longer, or to remove mistakes made by a user who creates a file hierarchy in the wrong place. Use it carefully!

Related Commands


To mark a file deleted at its head revision	`p4 delete`

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