remove3
Remove a file or directory
Usage
#include <stdio.h>
int remove(const char *path);
Library
Standard C library (libc, -lc)
Overview
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 to indicate the error.
Errors
Attributes
For an explanation of the terms used in this section, see attributes(7).
| Interface | Attribute | Value |
| remove() | Thread safety | MT-Safe |
Releases
19 releases since Debian 1.1 (Buzz); the text changed 15 times.