(coreutils.info)unlink invocation

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12.8 `unlink': Remove files via the unlink syscall
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`unlink' deletes a single specified file name.  It is a minimalist
interface to the system-provided `unlink' function.  Note: Deleting
Files.  Synopsis: It avoids the bells and
whistles of the more commonly-used `rm' command (Note: rm invocation).

     unlink FILENAME

   On some systems `unlink' can be used to delete the name of a
directory.  On others, it can be used that way only by a privileged
user.  In the GNU system `unlink' can never delete the name of a
directory.

   The `unlink' command honors the `--help' and `--version' options.
To remove a file whose name begins with `-', prefix the name with `./',
e.g., `unlink ./--help'.

   An exit status of zero indicates success, and a nonzero value
indicates failure.