RMDIR(2) | System Calls Manual | RMDIR(2)

# NAME

`rmdir` — remove a directory file

# SYNOPSIS

`#include <unistd.h>`

int
`rmdir`(const char *path);

# DESCRIPTION

`rmdir`() removes a directory file whose name is given by path. The directory must not have any entries other than ‘`.`’ and ‘`..`’.

There is no `rmdirat`() function; to remove a directory with a path relative to the directory associated with a file descriptor use the unlinkat(2) function with the `AT_REMOVEDIR` flag.

# RETURN VALUES

Upon successful completion, the value 0 is returned; otherwise the value -1 is returned and the global variable errno is set to indicate the error.

# ERRORS

The named file is removed unless:

[`ENOTDIR`]
  A component of the path is not a directory.
[`ENAMETOOLONG`]
  A component of a pathname exceeded `NAME_MAX` characters, or an entire pathname (including the terminating NUL) exceeded `PATH_MAX` bytes.
[`ENOENT`]
  The named directory does not exist.
[`ELOOP`]
  Too many symbolic links were encountered in translating the pathname.
[`ENOTEMPTY`]
  The named directory contains files other than ‘`.`’ and ‘`..`’ in it.
[`EACCES`]
  Search permission is denied for a component of the path prefix.
[`EACCES`]
  Write permission is denied on the directory containing the directory to be removed.
[`EPERM`]
  The directory containing the directory to be removed is marked sticky, and neither the containing directory nor the directory to be removed are owned by the effective user ID.
[`EPERM`]
  The directory to be removed or the directory containing it has its immutable or append-only flag set (see chflags(2)).
[`EBUSY`]
  The directory to be removed is the mount point for a mounted file system.
[`EINVAL`]
  The last path element of the directory to be removed consists of ‘`.`’.
[`EIO`]
  An I/O error occurred while deleting the directory entry or deallocating the inode.
[`EROFS`]
  The directory entry to be removed resides on a read-only file system.
[`EFAULT`]
  path points outside the process's allocated address space.

# SEE ALSO

rmdir(1), chflags(2), mkdir(2), unlink(2)

# STANDARDS

The `rmdir`() function conforms to IEEE Std 1003.1-2008 (“POSIX.1”).

# HISTORY

The `rmdir`() function call appeared in 4.1cBSD.

February 18, 2022 | Debian