unlink()

NAME

unlink() - remove directory entry

SYNOPSIS

#include <unistd.h>


int unlink (const char *path)

DESCRIPTION

The unlink(2) function removes the link named by path from its directory and decrements the link count of the file which was referenced by the link. If that decrement reduces the link count of the file to zero, and no process has the file open, then all resources associated with the file are reclaimed. If one or more process have the file open when the last link is removed, the link is removed, but the removal of the file is delayed until all references to it have been closed.

Calling unlink(2) with a directory is not supported.

RETURN VALUES

Upon successful completion, a value of 0 is returned. Otherwise, a value of -1 is returned and errno is set to indicate the error.

ERRORS

The unlink(2) succeeds unless:

[EACCES]

Search permission is denied for a component of the path prefix.

[EACCES]

Write permission is denied on the directory containing the link to be removed.

[ENAMETOOLONG]

A component of a pathname exceeded {NAME_MAX} characters, or an entire pathname exceeded {PATH_MAX} characters.

[ENOENT]

The named file does not exist.

[EPERM]

The named file is a directory.

[EPERM]

The directory containing the file is marked sticky, and neither the containing directory nor the file to be removed are owned by the effective user ID.

[EIO]

An I/O error occurred while deleting the directory entry or deallocating the file serial number.

[EROFS]

The named file resides on a read-only file system.

SEE ALSO

close(2)

link(2)

remove(3)

rmdir(2)