Bug #52176 [Bgs]: unlink() cannot delete symbolic link which points to a directory

Edit report at https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=52176&edit=1 ID: 52176 User updated by: o_shes01 at uni-muenster dot de Reported by: o_shes01 at uni-muenster dot de Summary: unlink() cannot delete symbolic link which points to a directory Status: Bogus Type: Bug Package: Filesystem function related Operating System: Windows Vista SP2 PHP Version: 5.3.2 Block user comment: N Private report: N New Comment: Assuming that $fname is absolute filename of a symbolic link, which points to a directory. On Linux, unlink($fname) deletes the link itself, and rmdir($fname) does NOT work. On Windows, unlink($fname) does not work, and rmdir($fname) deletes the link. This behaviour is not documented in any way. If this is not a bug, then which is the correct way to delete a symbolic link which points to a directory? Previous Comments: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2011-11-15 15:55:07] felipe@php.net Thank you for taking the time to write to us, but this is not a bug. Please double-check the documentation available at http://www.php.net/manual/ and the instructions on how to report a bug at http://bugs.php.net/how-to-report.php ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2010-06-24 19:37:57] o_shes01 at uni-muenster dot de Description: ------------ unlink($fname) fails if the file named by $fname is a symbolic link which points to a directory. Such a link (not the directory which it points to!) can however be deleted via "rmdir($fname)", which is also a bug (IMHO). Note: if the link points to a regular file (not directory), then unlink works as expected (deletes the link, not the file pointed to). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- Edit this bug report at https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=52176&edit=1