Are there safer alternatives to rm -rf?

Yes, there are safer alternatives to rm -rf that can help prevent accidental deletions. Here are a few options:

Using rm -r with confirmation:
You can use the -i option to prompt for confirmation before each file is deleted:
```
rm -ri directory-name
```
Using trash-cli:
You can install trash-cli, which moves files to the trash instead of permanently deleting them:
```
sudo apt install trash-cli
trash directory-name
```
Using find with -delete:
You can use the find command to selectively delete files:
```
find directory-name -type f -exec rm -i {} \;
```
This will prompt for confirmation before deleting each file.
Using a GUI file manager:
If you're using a graphical interface, you can use a file manager to delete directories, which often includes a confirmation dialog.

These methods provide an extra layer of safety compared to using rm -rf.