REMOVEFILE(3) Library Functions Manual REMOVEFILE(3)

removefile, removefileat, removefile_state_alloc, removefile_state_free, removefile_state_get, removefile_state_set — remove files or directories

#include <removefile.h>

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

int
removefileat(int fd, 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);

int
removefile_cancel(removefile_state_t state);

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 () 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 () function is used to deallocate the object and its contents.

The () function is equivalent to the removefile() function except in the case where the path specifies a relative path. In that case the file to be removed is determined relative to the directory associated with the file descriptor fd instead of the current working directory. If the special value AT_FDCWD is passed in the fd argument, the current working directory is used and the behavior is identical to a call to removefile().

The () 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:

If the path location is a directory, then recursively delete the entire directory.
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.
By default, recursive traversals do not cross mount points. This option allows removefile() to descend into directories that have a different device number than the file from which the descent began.
Overwrite the file with 7 US DoD compliant passes (0xF6, 0x00, 0xFF, random, 0x00, 0xFF, random).
Overwrite the file using 35-pass Gutmann algorithm.
Overwrite the file twice with random bytes, and then with 0xAA.
Overwrite with a single pass of random data.
Overwrite with a single pass of zeroes.
Allow paths traversed internally to exceed the PATH_MAX constant. This requires changing the working directory of the process that has called into removefile() temporarily. (This does not remove the requirement that no component of the path location exceeds NAME_MAX characters, nor does it allow the path argument itself to exceed PATH_MAX.)

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

Get or set the callback function of type removefile_callback_t to be called prior to file deletion.
Get or set any parameters of type void * that are needed for the confirm callback function.
Get or set the callback function of type removefile_callback_t to be called when an error is detected.
Get or set any parameters of type void * that are needed for the error callback function.
Get or set the current errno of type int
Get or set the callback function of type removefile_callback_t to be called subsequent to file deletion.
Get or set any parameters of type void * that are needed for the status callback function.
Get any available file entry information of type FTSENT * (setting is not allowed).

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:

File is deleted and () continues operation as normal.
Current file is not deleted and removefile() continues operation as normal.
Current file is not deleted and removefile() exits without continuing further.

The () function is used to cancel a remove that is in progress.

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

removefile() will fail if:

[]
The path location specifies a file or directory for which the calling process does not have proper permissions.
[]
A callback returned an invalid return value (not REMOVEFILE_PROCEED, REMOVEFILE_SKIP, or REMOVEFILE_STOP)
The path location refers to a symbolic link.
[]
A component of the path location exceeds NAME_MAX characters, or the entire path location exceeds PATH_MAX characters (and REMOVEFILE_ALLOW_LONG_PATHS is not passed).
[]
A memory allocation failed.
[]
The path location specifies a directory that contains an immutable file which cannot be deleted.
[]
The path location specifies an immutable file that cannot be deleted.

removefileat() will fail if:

[]
The path argument is not an absolute path and fd is neither AT_FDCWD nor a file descriptor associated with a directory.

removefile_cancel() will fail if:

[]
A NULL parameter was passed into removefile_cancel().

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

Write protected files owned by another user cannot be removed by (), 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, () will proceed using the flag that specifies the highest number of overwriting passes.

() is pathname-based; this means that, when descending into a hierarchy, there are potential race conditions that may add risk when run with privileges.

() operates on symbolic links, rather than the target of the link.

/* 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);

unlink(1), sync(2), sync_volume_np(3)

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

August 4, 2023 macOS 15.0