unlink Command Cheat Sheet
unlink calls the unlink system call to remove a specified file.
Synopsis
unlink FILE
Usage
Remove a File
unlink file.txt
Remove a Symbolic Link
unlink symlink_name
unlink vs rm
| Feature | unlink |
rm |
|---|---|---|
| Input | Only 1 filename | Multiple files, directories |
| Recursion | No | Yes (-r) |
| Safeguards | None (No -i) |
Interactive (-i), Force (-f) |
| Directories | Cannot remove | Can remove (-r or -d) |
| System Call | Direct unlink() |
Wraps unlink() with logic |
Summary: unlink is simpler and more limited. It is mostly used when you want to be strictly sure you are not traversing directories or handling wildcards implicitly.
Notes
- Error: If you try
unlink directory/, it will fail (unlikerm -d). - Data: It removes the directory entry. The data blocks are freed only if no other hard links exist and the file is not open by any process.