documents: removexattr · fremovexattr
REMOVEXATTR(2) System Calls Manual REMOVEXATTR(2)

removexattr, fremovexattr — remove an extended attribute value

#include <sys/xattr.h>

int
removexattr(const char *path, const char *name, int options);

int
fremovexattr(int fd, const char *name, int options);

Extended attributes extend the basic attributes associated with files and directories in the file system. They are stored as name:data pairs associated with file system objects (files, directories, symlinks, etc).

() deletes the extended attribute name associated with path.

An extended attribute's name is a simple NULL-terminated UTF-8 string. Options is a bit mask specifying various options:

do not follow symbolic links. Normally, () acts on the target of path if it is a symbolic link. With this option, removexattr() will act on the link itself.
do not follow any symbolic links encountered during pathname resolution. An error is returned if a symlink is encountered before the last component of path.
If path does not reside in the hierarchy beneath the starting directory, an error is returned.
removexattr() and fremovexattr() will remove HFS Plus Compression extended attribute name (if present) for the file referred to by path or fd.

() is identical to removexattr(), except that it removes an extended attribute from an open file referenced by file descriptor fd.

On success, 0 is returned. On failure, -1 is returned and the global variable errno is set as follows.

[]
The specified extended attribute does not exist.
[]
The file system does not support extended attributes or has the feature disabled.
[]
The file system is mounted read-only.
[]
This type of object does not support extended attributes.
[]
name or options is invalid. name must be valid UTF-8 options must make sense.
[]
XATTR_NOFOLLOW, XATTR_NOFOLLOW_ANY or XATTR_RESOLVE_BENEATH option was passed in fremovexattr().
[]
A component of the path 's prefix is not a directory.
[]
Name exceeded XATTR_MAXNAMELEN UTF-8 bytes, or a component of path exceeded NAME_MAX characters, or the entire path exceeded PATH_MAX characters.
[]
Search permission is denied for a component path or permission to remove the attribute is denied.
[]
Too many symbolic links were encountered in path.
[]
If XATTR_NOFOLLOW_ANY option was passed and a symbolic link was encountered in translating the pathname.
[]
If XATTR_RESOLVE_BENEATH was passed and path does not reside in the directory hierarchy beneath the starting directory.
[]
path or name points to an invalid address.
[]
An I/O error occurred while reading from or writing to the file system.

getxattr(2), listxattr(2), setxattr(2)

removexattr() and fremovexattr() first appeared in Mac OS X 10.4.

October 19, 2004 Mac OS X