remove(3)

NAME

   remove - remove a file or directory

SYNOPSIS

   #include <stdio.h>

   int remove(const char *pathname);

DESCRIPTION

   remove()  deletes  a  name from the filesystem.  It calls unlink(2) for
   files, and rmdir(2) for directories.

   If the removed name was the last link to a file and no  processes  have
   the  file  open, the file is deleted and the space it was using is made
   available for reuse.

   If the name was the last link to a file, but any processes  still  have
   the  file  open,  the file will remain in existence until the last file
   descriptor referring to it is closed.

   If the name referred to a symbolic link, the link is removed.

   If the name referred to a socket, FIFO, or device, the name is removed,
   but processes which have the object open may continue to use it.

RETURN VALUE

   On  success,  zero is returned.  On error, -1 is returned, and errno is
   set appropriately.

ERRORS

   The errors that occur are those for unlink(2) and rmdir(2).

ATTRIBUTES

   For  an  explanation  of  the  terms  used   in   this   section,   see
   attributes(7).

   
   Interface  Attribute      Value   
   
   remove()   Thread safety  MT-Safe 
   

CONFORMING TO

   POSIX.1-2001, POSIX.1-2008, C89, C99, 4.3BSD.

BUGS

   Infelicities  in  the  protocol underlying NFS can cause the unexpected
   disappearance of files which are still being used.

SEE ALSO

   rm(1), unlink(1),  link(2),  mknod(2),  open(2),  rename(2),  rmdir(2),
   unlink(2), mkfifo(3), symlink(7)

COLOPHON

   This  page  is  part of release 4.09 of the Linux man-pages project.  A
   description of the project, information about reporting bugs,  and  the
   latest     version     of     this    page,    can    be    found    at
   https://www.kernel.org/doc/man-pages/.

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