explain_symlink_or_die(3)

💖 explain_symlink_or_die(3) 💖

okay bestie, welcome to the Library Functions Manual corner of the internet, where we're talking about explain_symlink_or_die — literally the moment you make a new name for a file and, if the universe says no, you get a whole explanation before everything shuts down. no cap. 🎀

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✨ NAME ✨

explain_symlink_or_die — make a new name for a file and report errors 🦋

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

#include <libexplain/symlink.h>
void explain_symlink_or_die(const char *oldpath, const char *newpath);

like, that's the whole vibe. two strings in, chaos out. 💅

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✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

so the tea is: the explain_symlink_or_die function is used to call the symlink(2) system call. 🫶

and if it fails? not only does it fail — it prints an explanation to stderr, which it gets from explain_symlink(3), and then the process terminates by calling exit(EXIT_FAILURE). it's giving dramatic exit, and honestly? iconic. 💀✨

this function is intended to be used in a fashion similar to the following example:

explain_symlink_or_die(oldpath, newpath);

• oldpath — the oldpath, exactly as to be passed to the symlink(2) system call. don't get creative with it, pass it exactly. 🙈
• newpath — the newpath, exactly as to be passed to the symlink(2) system call. same energy, same rule. 💜

Returns:

this function only returns on success. on failure, it prints an explanation and exits. so if you see it come back at all, bestie, you ate. 👑

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✨ SEE ALSO ✨

• symlink(2) — make a new name for a file 🌸
• explain_symlink(3) — explain symlink(2) errors 🔥
• exit(2) — terminate the calling process 🧚

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✨ COPYRIGHT ✨

libexplain version 1.4 Copyright (C) 2008 Peter Miller

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and that's the whole page, babe — libexplain version 1.4, Copyright (C) 2008 Peter Miller, and this little explain_symlink_or_die(3) moment was brought to you with love. stay slaying, stay linking ✨💖🌈