It is possible, usually by mistake, to create files with names containing characters such as '*' and '-'. Care has to be taken when using commands with such files. For example this is not the way to remove the file called '*':-
rm *
True it will indeed remove that file - and any other in the directory. If the name involves '*', then put single quotes round the file name. This is the right way to remove that pesky file:-
rm '*'
The character '-' presents a second problem if it appears at the start of the file name: by default a reference to the file is assumed to be an option. For example a silly file called '-l' cannot be deleted with:-
rm -l
Unix complains about an invalid option. Adding single quotes:-
rm '-l'
doesn't help, instead you have to use the special option '--' which means
that anything on the command line beyond it isn't an option, so what's
needed is:-
rm -- -l