readlink(2) BSD System Calls Manual readlink(2)
NAME
readlink -- read value of a symbolic link
SYNOPSIS
#include <unistd.h>
ssize_t
readlink(const char *restrict path, char *restrict buf, size_t bufsize);
DESCRIPTION
Readlink() places the contents of the symbolic link path in the buffer
buf, which has size bufsize. Readlink does not append a NUL character to
buf.
RETURN VALUES
The call returns the count of characters placed in the buffer if it suc-
ceeds, or a -1 if an error occurs, placing the error code in the global
variable errno.
ERRORS
Readlink() will fail if:
[EACCES] Search permission is denied for a component of the
path prefix.
[EFAULT] Buf extends outside the process's allocated address
space.
[EINVAL] The named file is not a symbolic link.
[EIO] An I/O error occurred while reading from the file sys-
tem.
[ELOOP] Too many symbolic links are encountered in translating
the pathname. This is taken to be indicative of a
looping symbolic link.
[ENAMETOOLONG] A component of a pathname exceeded {NAME_MAX} charac-
ters, or an entire path name (possibly expanded by a
symbolic link) exceeded {PATH_MAX} characters.
[ENOENT] The named file does not exist.
[ENOTDIR] A component of the path prefix is not a directory.
LEGACY SYNOPSIS
#include <unistd.h>
int
readlink(const char *path, char *buf, int bufsize);
The function type and the type of bufsize have changed.
SEE ALSO
lstat(2), stat(2), symlink(2), compat(5), symlink(7)
HISTORY
The readlink() function call appeared in 4.2BSD.
4.2 Berkeley Distribution June 4, 1993 4.2 Berkeley Distribution
Mac OS X 10.9.1 - Generated Mon Jan 6 10:34:00 CST 2014