SYMLINKAT

Section: Linux Programmer's Manual (2)
Updated: 2008-08-21
Index Return to Main Contents

NAME

symlinkat - create a symbolic link relative to a directory file descriptor

SYNOPSIS

#define _ATFILE_SOURCE
#include <fcntl.h>           /* Definition of AT_* constants */
#include <stdio.h>

int symlinkat(const char *oldpath, int newdirfd, const char *newpath);

DESCRIPTION

The symlinkat() system call operates in exactly the same way as symlink(2), except for the differences described in this manual page.

If the pathname given in newpath is relative, then it is interpreted relative to the directory referred to by the file descriptor newdirfd (rather than relative to the current working directory of the calling process, as is done by symlink(2) for a relative pathname).

If newpath is relative and newdirfd is the special value AT_FDCWD, then newpath is interpreted relative to the current working directory of the calling process (like symlink(2)).

If newpath is absolute, then newdirfd is ignored.

RETURN VALUE

On success, symlinkat() returns 0. On error, -1 is returned and errno is set to indicate the error.

ERRORS

The same errors that occur for symlink(2) can also occur for symlinkat(). The following additional errors can occur for symlinkat():

EBADF: newdirfd is not a valid file descriptor.
ENOTDIR: newpath is relative and newdirfd is a file descriptor referring to a file other than a directory.

VERSIONS

symlinkat() was added to Linux in kernel 2.6.16.

CONFORMING TO

POSIX.1-2008.

NOTES

See openat(2) for an explanation of the need for symlinkat().

COLOPHON

This page is part of release 3.22 of the Linux man-pages project. A description of the project, and information about reporting bugs, can be found at http://www.kernel.org/doc/man-pages/.