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readlink(S)


readlink -- reads a symbolic link

Syntax

cc . . . -lc

int readlink (path, buf, bufsiz)
char *path, *buf;
int bufsiz;

Description

The readlink function reads a symbolic link previously created by a call to symlink(S).

readlink places the contents of the symbolic link referred to by path in the buf buffer, which has the size bufsiz. The contents of the link are not null terminated when returned.

This routine fails and the buffer is unchanged if one or more of the following is true:


[EACCES]
Search permission is denied for a component of the oath prefix.

[EFAULT]
path or 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 or writing to the filesystem.

[ELOOP]
Too many symbolic links were encountered in translating path.

[ENAMETOOLONG]
The length of a component of path exceeds 255 characters or the length of path exceeds 1023 characters.

[ENOENT]
The named file does not exist.

Return value

The count of characters placed in the buffer is returned if the call succeeds, or -1 is returned if an error occurs, and the error value is placed in errno.

See also

stat(S), symlink(S)

Standards conformance

readlink is not part of any currently supported standard; it is an extension of AT&T System V provided by the Santa Cruz Operation.
© 2003 Caldera International, Inc. All rights reserved.
SCO OpenServer Release 5.0.7 -- 11 February 2003