cocoasymlinkcore-servicesrecycle-bin

How to move a symlink to the trash?

I don't see any options for the FSPathMoveObjectToTrashSync() function for not following links.

Here is what I have tried

Create a link and a file

[ 21:32:41 /tmp ] $ touch my_file
[ 21:32:45 /tmp ] $ ln -s my_file my_link
[ 21:32:52 /tmp ] $ la
total 8
drwxrwxrwt   12 root     wheel   408 17 Maj 21:32 .
drwxr-xr-x@   6 root     wheel   204  9 Sep  2009 ..
-rw-r--r--    1 neoneye  wheel     0 17 Maj 21:32 my_file
lrwxr-xr-x    1 neoneye  wheel     7 17 Maj 21:32 my_link -> my_file

Move the link to the trash

OSStatus status = FSPathMoveObjectToTrashSync(
    "/tmp/my_link",
    NULL,
    kFSFileOperationDefaultOptions
);
NSLog(@"status: %i", (int)status);

Output is

status: 0

However the file got removed and not the link

[ 21:32:55 /tmp ] $ la
total 8
drwxrwxrwt   11 root     wheel   374 17 Maj 21:33 .
drwxr-xr-x@   6 root     wheel   204  9 Sep  2009 ..
lrwxr-xr-x    1 neoneye  wheel     7 17 Maj 21:32 my_link -> my_file
[ 21:33:05 /tmp ] $

How can I move move symlinks to the trash?

The Solution.. thanks to Rob Napier

NSString* path = @"/tmp/my_link";
OSStatus status = 0;

FSRef ref;
status = FSPathMakeRefWithOptions(
    (const UInt8 *)[path fileSystemRepresentation], 
    kFSPathMakeRefDoNotFollowLeafSymlink,
    &ref, 
    NULL
);  
NSAssert((status == 0), @"failed to make FSRef");

status = FSMoveObjectToTrashSync(
    &ref,
    NULL,
    kFSFileOperationDefaultOptions
);
NSLog(@"status: %i", (int)status);
Solution

  • Use FSPathMakeRefWithOptions() to generate an FSRef to the link. Then use FSMoveObjectToTrashSync() to delete it.