What command is used to safely remove a directory and all its contents?

The command that is used to safely remove a directory and all its contents is "rm -rf directoryname."

The "rm" command stands for "remove," and it is used to delete files and directories within a Linux filesystem. The "r" option stands for "recursive," which allows the command to delete the specified directory and all its subdirectories and files. Without this option, the command would fail when trying to delete a directory that contains other files or directories.

The "f" option stands for "force," which instructs the command to ignore nonexistent files and arguments and never prompt for confirmation. This is particularly useful for automated scripts or commands where user interaction is not desired.

Using "rm -rf" together ensures that the target directory, along with all its contents, is deleted without any prompts or errors, making it a powerful and dangerous command if used incorrectly. It is crucial to use this command with caution, especially when working with system directories or important files.

The other options either do not include the necessary flags for recursive or forced deletion or use incorrect commands altogether, making them inadequate for the task at hand.