READLINK(2) Linux Programmer's Manual READLINK(2)

readlink - read value of a symbolic link

#include <unistd.h>

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

readlink() places the contents of the symbolic link path in the buffer buf, which has size bufsiz. readlink() does not append a NUL character to buf. It will truncate the contents (to a length of bufsiz characters), in case the buffer is too small to hold all of the contents.

The call returns the count of characters placed in the buffer if it succeeds, or a -1 if an error occurs, placing the error code in errno.

Search permission is denied for a component of the path prefix. (See also path_resolution(2).)
buf extends outside the process's allocated address space.
bufsiz is not positive.
The named file is not a symbolic link.
An I/O error occurred while reading from the file system.
Too many symbolic links were encountered in translating the pathname.
A pathname, or a component of a pathname, was too long.
The named file does not exist.
Insufficient kernel memory was available.
A component of the path prefix is not a directory.

X/OPEN, 4.4BSD (the readlink() function call appeared in 4.2BSD).

lstat(2), path_resolution(2), stat(2), symlink(2)

1997-08-21 Linux 2.0.30

Different Versions of this Page: