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REMOVEFILE(3)            BSD Library Functions Manual            REMOVEFILE(3)

NAME
     removefile, removefile_state_alloc, removefile_state_free,
     removefile_state_get, removefile_state_set -- remove files or directories

SYNOPSIS
     #include <removefile.h>

     int
     removefile(const char *path, removefile_state_t state,
         removefile_flags_t flags);

     removefile_state_t
     removefile_state_alloc(void);

     int
     removefile_state_free(removefile_state_t state);

     int
     removefile_state_get(removefile_state_t state, uint32_t key, void * dst);

     int
     removefile_state_set(removefile_state_t state, uint32_t key,
         const void * value);

DESCRIPTION
     These functions are used to remove a file or directory.  Various levels
     of overwriting may be specified to prevent other people from recovering
     any information about the file.

     The removefile_state_alloc() function initializes a removefile_state_t
     object (which is an opaque data type).  This object can be passed to
     removefile().  removefile_state_get() and removefile_state_set() can be
     used to manipulate the state (see below).  The removefile_state_free()
     function is used to deallocate the object and its contents.

     The removefile() function removes files and directories located at the
     named path filesystem location.  The named path location can be specified
     as either an absolute path or relative to the working directory of the
     calling process.  If the state parameter is the return value from
     removefile_state_alloc(), then removefile() will use the information from
     the state object; if it is NULL, then removefile() will work normally,
     but less control will be available to the caller.  The flags parameter
     controls deletion options:

     REMOVEFILE_RECURSIVE       If the path location is a directory, then
                                recursively delete the entire directory.

     REMOVEFILE_KEEP_PARENT     The file or directory at the path location is
                                not deleted.  If specified in conjunction with
                                REMOVEFILE_RECURSIVE, then all of the contents
                                of the directory at path location will be
                                deleted, but not the directory itself.

     REMOVEFILE_SECURE_7_PASS   Overwrite the file with 7 US DoD compliant
                                passes (0xF6, 0x00,  0xFF,  random, 0x00,
                                0xFF, random)

     REMOVEFILE_SECURE_35_PASS  Overwrite the file using 35-pass Gutmann algo-rithm. algorithm.
                                rithm.

     REMOVEFILE_SECURE_1_PASS   Overwrite with a single pass of random data

     The removefile_state_get() and removefile_state_set() functions can be
     used to manipulate the removefile_state_t object returned by
     removefile_state_alloc().  In both functions, the dst or the value param-eter's parameter's
     eter's type depends on the key parameter that is passed in.

     REMOVEFILE_STATE_CONFIRM_CALLBACK  Get or set the callback function of
                                        type removefile_callback_t to be
                                        called prior to file deletion.

     REMOVEFILE_STATE_CONFIRM_CONTEXT   Get or set any parameters of type void
                                        * that are needed for the confirm
                                        callback function.

     REMOVEFILE_STATE_ERROR_CALLBACK    Get or set the callback function of
                                        type removefile_callback_t to be
                                        called when an error is detected.

     REMOVEFILE_STATE_ERROR_CONTEXT     Get or set any parameters of type void
                                        * that are needed for the error call-back callback
                                        back function.

     REMOVEFILE_STATE_ERRNO             Get or set the current errno of type
                                        int

     REMOVEFILE_STATE_STATUS_CALLBACK   Get or set the callback function of
                                        type removefile_callback_t to be
                                        called subsequent to file deletion.

     REMOVEFILE_STATE_STATUS_CONTEXT    Get or set any parameters of type void
                                        * that are needed for the status call-back callback
                                        back function.

     The removefile_callback_t function pointer is defined as the following:

     int (*removefile_callback_t) (removefile_state_t state, const char *path,
     void *context)

     The return value of the callback function is given as:

     REMOVEFILE_PROCEED  File is deleted and removefile() continues operation
                         as normal.

     REMOVEFILE_SKIP     Current file is not deleted and removefile() contin-ues continues
                         ues operation as normal.

     REMOVEFILE_STOP     Current file is not deleted and removefile() exits
                         without continuing further.

RETURN VALUES
     The family of removefile() functions returns less than 0 on error, and 0
     on success.

ERRORS
     removefile() will fail if:

     [EACCES]           The path location specifies a file or directory for
                        which the calling process does not have proper permis-sions. permissions.
                        sions.

     [EINVAL]           A callback returned an invalid return value (not
                        REMOVEFILE_PROCEED, REMOVEFILE_SKIP, or REMOVE-FILE_STOP) REMOVEFILE_STOP)
                        FILE_STOP)

     [EMLINK]           The path location refers to a symbolic link.

     [ENAMETOOLONG]     The resource fork name of the file exceeds the maximum
                        allowed length.

     [ENOMEM]           A memory allocation failed.

     [ENOTEMPTY]        The path location specifies a directory that contains
                        an immutable file which cannot be deleted.

     [EPERM]            The path location specifies an immutable file that
                        cannot be deleted.

     In addition, both functions may return an error from an underlying
     library or system call.

NOTES
     Write protected files owned by another process cannot be removed by
     removefile(), regardless of the permissions on the directory containing
     the file.

     If multiple of the REMOVEFILE_SECURE_1_PASS, REMOVEFILE_SECURE_7_PASS,
     and REMOVEFILE_SECURE_35_PASS flags are specified, removefile() will pro-ceed proceed
     ceed using the flag that specifies the highest number of overwriting
     passes.

EXAMPLES
           /* Initialize a state variable */
           removefile_state_t s;
           s = removefile_state_alloc();
           /* Recursively remove all files and directories while keeping parent tmp directory. */
           removefile("/tmp", s, REMOVEFILE_RECURSIVE | REMOVEFILE_KEEP_PARENT);
           /* Release the state variable */
           removefile_state_free(s);

           /* A more complex way to call removefile() -- define a callback function */
           int removefile_status_callback(removefile_state_t state, const char * path, void * context) {
              fprintf(stderr, "File deleted: %s", path);
              return REMOVEFILE_PROCEED;
           }
           /* Initialize a state variable */
           s = removefile_state_alloc();
           /* Set callback function properties */
           removefile_state_set(s, REMOVEFILE_STATE_CONFIRM_CALLBACK, removefile_confirm_callback);
           removefile_state_set(s, REMOVEFILE_STATE_CONFIRM_CONTEXT, NULL);
           /* Recursively remove all files and directories while keeping parent tmp directory,
              calling a confirm callback prior to each file deletion. */
           removefile("/tmp", s, REMOVEFILE_RECURSIVE | REMOVEFILE_KEEP_PARENT);
           /* Release the state variable. */
           removefile_state_free(s);

SEE ALSO
     srm(1), unlink(1)

HISTORY
     The removefile() API was introduced in Mac OS X 10.5.

BSD                               May 4, 2007                              BSD