1UNLINK(2)                  Linux Programmer's Manual                 UNLINK(2)
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NAME

6       unlink, unlinkat - delete a name and possibly the file it refers to
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SYNOPSIS

9       #include <unistd.h>
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11       int unlink(const char *pathname);
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13       #include <fcntl.h>           /* Definition of AT_* constants */
14       #include <unistd.h>
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16       int unlinkat(int dirfd, const char *pathname, int flags);
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18   Feature Test Macro Requirements for glibc (see feature_test_macros(7)):
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20       unlinkat():
21           Since glibc 2.10:
22               _POSIX_C_SOURCE >= 200809L
23           Before glibc 2.10:
24               _ATFILE_SOURCE
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DESCRIPTION

27       unlink() deletes a name from the filesystem.  If that name was the last
28       link to a file and no processes have the file open, the file is deleted
29       and the space it was using is made available for reuse.
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31       If  the  name  was the last link to a file but any processes still have
32       the file open, the file will remain in existence until  the  last  file
33       descriptor referring to it is closed.
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35       If the name referred to a symbolic link, the link is removed.
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37       If  the  name referred to a socket, FIFO, or device, the name for it is
38       removed but processes which have the object open may  continue  to  use
39       it.
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41   unlinkat()
42       The  unlinkat()  system call operates in exactly the same way as either
43       unlink() or rmdir(2) (depending on whether or not  flags  includes  the
44       AT_REMOVEDIR flag) except for the differences described here.
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46       If  the  pathname given in pathname is relative, then it is interpreted
47       relative to the directory referred to  by  the  file  descriptor  dirfd
48       (rather  than  relative to the current working directory of the calling
49       process, as is done by unlink() and rmdir(2) for a relative pathname).
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51       If the pathname given in pathname is relative and dirfd is the  special
52       value  AT_FDCWD,  then  pathname is interpreted relative to the current
53       working directory of the calling process (like unlink() and rmdir(2)).
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55       If the pathname given in pathname is absolute, then dirfd is ignored.
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57       flags is a bit mask that can either be specified as 0, or by ORing  to‐
58       gether  flag  values  that  control  the operation of unlinkat().  Cur‐
59       rently, only one such flag is defined:
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61       AT_REMOVEDIR
62              By default, unlinkat() performs the equivalent  of  unlink()  on
63              pathname.   If the AT_REMOVEDIR flag is specified, then performs
64              the equivalent of rmdir(2) on pathname.
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66       See openat(2) for an explanation of the need for unlinkat().
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RETURN VALUE

69       On success, zero is returned.  On error, -1 is returned, and  errno  is
70       set to indicate the error.
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ERRORS

73       EACCES Write access to the directory containing pathname is not allowed
74              for the process's effective UID, or one of  the  directories  in
75              pathname  did not allow search permission.  (See also path_reso‐
76              lution(7).)