rm: remove directory symlinks via the directory-removal API on Windows - #14159
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rm: remove directory symlinks via the directory-removal API on Windows#14159Uarz wants to merge 1 commit into
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In remove_dir_recursive, the symlink base case routed every symbolic link through remove_file (std::fs::remove_file / DeleteFileW). On Windows a symbolic link to a directory (a directory reparse point) cannot be deleted this way: DeleteFileW returns ERROR_ACCESS_DENIED, so 'rm -r' over a tree containing a directory symlink fails with 'cannot remove ...: Permission denied'. Route directory symlinks through remove_dir (std::fs::remove_dir / RemoveDirectoryW) via the existing is_symlink_dir helper, matching how the top-level remove() already handles them. Non-Windows behavior is unchanged; the new branch is #[cfg(windows)] and otherwise falls back to remove_file. Adds a regression test in tests/by-util/test_rm.rs.
sylvestre
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Aug 26, 2026
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| // | ||
| // On Windows, a symbolic link to a directory (a directory reparse | ||
| // point) cannot be removed with the file-deletion API used by | ||
| // `remove_file` -> it fails with `ERROR_ACCESS_DENIED`. Route such | ||
| // links through `remove_dir` (the directory-removal API), which | ||
| // removes the reparse point itself instead of following the link. | ||
| // This mirrors how the top-level `remove` already handles directory |
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rm -rover a directory tree that contains a symbolic link to a directory fails on Windows withcannot remove ...: Permission denied.In
remove_dir_recursive, the symlink base case routes every symbolic link throughremove_file(std::fs::remove_file/DeleteFileW). On Windows a directory symlink (a directory reparse point) cannot be deleted that way —DeleteFileWreturnsERROR_ACCESS_DENIED. It needsRemoveDirectoryW(std::fs::remove_dir), which removes the reparse point itself instead of following the link.Route directory symlinks through
remove_dirvia the existingis_symlink_dirhelper, matching how the top-levelremovealready handles them. Non-Windows is unchanged (the new branch is#[cfg(windows)]and otherwise falls back toremove_file).Added a regression test in
tests/by-util/test_rm.rs. It needsSeCreateSymbolicLinkPrivilege, like the existingtest_symlink_dir, so it runs on Windows CI rather than privilege-less dev boxes.