[boost] boost::filesystem::remove() throws on some symlinks

From: dizzy (dizzy_at_[hidden])
Date: 2008-05-30 05:52:29

Hello

If one creates a symlink like this "ln -s sym sym" (to itself symlink), 
bfs::exists("sym") will throw because the documentation defines it to do so 
(and I have nothing against it doing so, although in my programs because of 
this I am forced to just use "lstat()" and I can't replace using "lstat()" to 
check if something exists with bfs::exists).

However, I do think that bfs::remove("sym") throwing for the same reason 
(because it calls upon bfs::exists()) is the wrong thing to do. The source 
around bfs::remove() implementation even try to solve the issue of "dangling 
symlinks" as they call it by having an exception in case bfs::exists returns 
false and the target path points to a dangling symlink and still tries to 
remove it. Unfortunetly, exists will throw in my example of a symlink (not 
even dangling technically speaking :) ) even tho a remove on that kind of 
symlink should work just fine (it does work in shell or just doing 
std::remove()).

Is this a bug? If so, I should put it in the tracker?

Thanks!

-- 
Mihai RUSU					Email: dizzy_at_[hidden]
			"Linux is obsolete" -- AST