4.4BSD/usr/share/man/cat2/readlink.0

READLINK(2)                 BSD Programmer's Manual                READLINK(2)

NNAAMMEE
     rreeaaddlliinnkk - read value of a symbolic link

SSYYNNOOPPSSIISS
     ##iinncclluuddee <<uunniissttdd..hh>>

     _i_n_t
     rreeaaddlliinnkk(_c_o_n_s_t _c_h_a_r _*_p_a_t_h, _c_h_a_r _*_b_u_f, _i_n_t _b_u_f_s_i_z);

DDEESSCCRRIIPPTTIIOONN
     RReeaaddlliinnkk() places the contents of the symbolic link _p_a_t_h in the buffer
     _b_u_f, which has size _b_u_f_s_i_z. RReeaaddlliinnkk does not append a NUL character to
     _b_u_f.

RREETTUURRNN VVAALLUUEESS
     The call returns the count of characters placed in the buffer if it suc-
     ceeds, or a -1 if an error occurs, placing the error code in the global
     variable _e_r_r_n_o.

EERRRROORRSS
     RReeaaddlliinnkk() will fail if:

     [ENOTDIR]     A component of the path prefix is not a directory.

     [EINVAL]      The pathname contains a character with the high-order bit
                   set.

     [ENAMETOOLONG]
                   A component of a pathname exceeded 255 characters, or an
                   entire path name exceeded 1023 characters.

     [ENOENT]      The named file does not exist.

     [EACCES]      Search permission is denied for a component of the path
                   prefix.

     [ELOOP]       Too many symbolic links were encountered in translating the
                   pathname.

     [EINVAL]      The named file is not a symbolic link.

     [EIO]         An I/O error occurred while reading from the file system.

     [EFAULT]      _B_u_f extends outside the process's allocated address space.

SSEEEE AALLSSOO
     stat(2),  lstat(2),  symlink(2) symlink(7),

HHIISSTTOORRYY
     The rreeaaddlliinnkk function call appeared in 4.2BSD.

4.2 Berkeley Distribution        June 4, 1993                                1