diff --git a/lib/puppet/type/symlink.rb b/lib/puppet/type/symlink.rb
deleted file mode 100755
index 63f109dcf..000000000
--- a/lib/puppet/type/symlink.rb
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,189 +0,0 @@
-require 'etc'
-require 'puppet/type/state'
-require 'puppet/type/pfile'
-
-module Puppet
-    newtype(:symlink) do
-        @doc = "Create symbolic links to existing files.  **This type is deprecated;
-            use file instead.**"
-        #newstate(:ensure) do
-        ensurable do
-            require 'etc'
-            attr_accessor :file
-
-            desc "Create a link to another file.  Currently only symlinks
-                are supported, and attempts to replace normal files with
-                links will currently fail, while existing but incorrect symlinks
-                will be removed."
-
-            validate do |value|
-                unless value == :absent or value =~ /^#{File::SEPARATOR}/
-                    raise Puppet::Error, "Invalid symlink %s" % value
-                end
-            end
-
-            nodefault
-
-            def create
-                begin
-                    unless File.symlink(self.should,self.parent[:path])
-                        self.fail "Could not create symlink '%s'" %
-                            self.parent[:path]
-                    end
-                rescue => detail
-                    self.fail "Cannot create symlink '%s': %s" %
-                        [self.parent[:path],detail]
-                end
-            end
-
-            def remove
-                if FileTest.symlink?(self.parent[:path])
-                    begin
-                        File.unlink(self.parent[:path])
-                    rescue
-                        self.fail "Failed to remove symlink '%s'" %
-                            self.parent[:path]
-                    end
-                elsif FileTest.exists?(self.parent[:path])
-                    self.fail "Cannot remove normal file '%s'" %
-                        self.parent[:path]
-                else
-                    @parent.debug("Symlink '%s' does not exist" %
-                        self.parent[:path])
-                end
-            end
-
-            def retrieve
-                stat = nil
-
-                if FileTest.symlink?(self.parent[:path])
-                    self.is = File.readlink(self.parent[:path])
-                    return
-                else
-                    self.is = :absent
-                    return
-                end
-            end
-
-            # this is somewhat complicated, because it could exist and be
-            # a link
-            def sync
-                case self.should
-                when :absent
-                    self.remove()
-                    return :symlink_removed
-                when /^#{File::SEPARATOR}/
-                    if FileTest.symlink?(self.parent[:path])
-                        path = File.readlink(self.parent[:path])
-                        if path != self.should
-                            self.remove()
-                            self.create()
-                            return :symlink_changed
-                        else
-                            self.info "Already in sync"
-                            return nil
-                        end
-                    elsif FileTest.exists?(self.parent[:path])
-                        self.fail "Cannot replace normal file '%s'" %
-                            self.parent[:path]
-                    else
-                        self.create()
-                        return :symlink_created
-                    end
-                else
-                    raise Puppet::DevError, "Got invalid symlink value %s" %
-                        self.should
-                end
-            end
-        end
-
-        attr_reader :stat, :params
-
-        copyparam(Puppet.type(:file), :path)
-
-        newparam(:recurse) do
-            desc "If target is a directory, recursively create
-                directories (using `file`'s `source` parameter) and link all
-                contained files.  For instance:
-
-                    # The Solaris Blastwave repository installs everything
-                    # in /opt/csw; link it into /usr/local
-                    symlink { \"/usr/local\":
-                        ensure => \"/opt/csw\",
-                        recurse => true
-                    }
-
-
-                Note that this does not link directories -- any directories
-                are created in the destination, and any files are linked over."
-
-            munge do |value|
-                @stat = nil
-                @target = @parent.state(:ensure).should
-
-                self.setparent(@target)
-            end
-
-            def setparent(value)
-                # we want to remove our state, because we're creating children
-                # to do the links
-                if FileTest.exist?(@target)
-                    @stat = File.lstat(@target)
-                else
-                    @setparent = false
-                    return
-                end
-
-                # if we're a directory, then we descend into it; we only actually
-                # link to real files
-                unless @stat.directory?
-                    return
-                end
-
-                @parent.delete(:ensure)
-
-                recurse = value
-                # we might have a string, rather than a number
-                if recurse.is_a?(String)
-                    if recurse =~ /^[0-9]+$/
-                        recurse = Integer(recurse)
-                    #elsif recurse =~ /^inf/ # infinite recursion
-                    else # anything else is infinite recursion
-                        recurse = true
-                    end
-                end
-
-                # are we at the end of the recursion?
-                if recurse == 0
-                    return
-                end
-
-                # okay, we're not going to recurse ourselves here; instead, we're
-                # going to rely on the fact that we've already got all of that
-                # working in pfile
-
-                args = {
-                    :path => @parent[:path],
-                    :linkmaker => true,
-                    :recurse => recurse,
-                    :source => @target
-                }
-
-                dir = Puppet.type(:file).implicitcreate(args)
-                @parent.push dir
-                @setparent = true
-            end
-        end
-
-        def initialize(hash)
-            tmphash = hash.to_hash
-            super
-            @arghash = tmphash
-            @arghash.delete(self.class.namevar)
-            #@arghash = self.argclean(hash.dup)
-            #@arghash.delete(self.class.namevar)
-        end
-    end # Puppet.type(:symlink)
-end
-
-# $Id$
diff --git a/test/types/symlink.rb b/test/types/symlink.rb
deleted file mode 100755
index 4c6f3550f..000000000
--- a/test/types/symlink.rb
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,117 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env ruby
-
-$:.unshift("../lib").unshift("../../lib") if __FILE__ =~ /\.rb$/
-
-require 'puppet'
-require 'puppettest'
-
-# $Id$
-
-class TestSymlink < Test::Unit::TestCase
-    include PuppetTest::FileTesting
-    def mktmpfile
-        # because luke's home directory is on nfs, it can't be used for testing
-        # as root
-        tmpfile = tempfile()
-        File.open(tmpfile, "w") { |f| f.puts rand(100) }
-        @@tmpfiles.push tmpfile
-        return tmpfile
-    end
-
-    def mktmpdir
-        dir = File.join(tmpdir(), "puppetlinkdir")
-        unless FileTest.exists?(dir)
-            Dir.mkdir(dir)
-        end
-        @@tmpfiles.push dir
-        return dir
-    end
-
-    def tmplink
-        link = File.join(tmpdir(), "puppetlinktest")
-        @@tmpfiles.push link
-        return link
-    end
-
-    def newlink(hash = {})
-        hash[:name] = tmplink()
-        unless hash.include?(:ensure)
-            hash[:ensure] = mktmpfile()
-        end
-        
-        link = Puppet.type(:symlink).create(hash)
-        return link
-    end
-
-    def test_target
-        link = nil
-        file = mktmpfile()
-        assert_nothing_raised() {
-            link = newlink()
-        }
-        assert_nothing_raised() {
-            link.retrieve
-        }
-        # we might already be in sync
-        assert(!link.insync?())
-        assert_apply(link)
-        assert_nothing_raised() {
-            link.retrieve
-        }
-        assert(link.insync?())
-    end
-
-    def test_recursion
-        source = mktmpdir()
-        FileUtils.cd(source) {
-            mkranddirsandfiles()
-        }
-
-        link = nil
-        assert_nothing_raised {
-            link = newlink(:ensure => source, :recurse => true)
-        }
-        comp = newcomp(link)
-        cycle(comp)
-
-        path = link.name
-        assert(FileTest.directory?(path), "Did not make %s" % path)
-        list = file_list(path)
-        FileUtils.cd(path) {
-            list.each { |file|
-                unless FileTest.directory?(file)
-                    assert(FileTest.symlink?(file), "file %s is not a symlink" %
-                        file)
-                    target = File.readlink(file)
-                    assert_equal(target,File.join(source,file.sub(/^\.\//,'')))
-                end
-            }
-        }
-    end
-
-    def disabled_test_createdrecursion
-        source = tempfile()
-        file = File.join(source, "file")
-        dest = tempfile()
-        link = File.join(dest, "file")
-
-        objects = []
-        objects << Puppet.type(:file).create(
-            :path => source,
-            :ensure => "directory"
-        )
-        objects << Puppet.type(:file).create(
-            :path => file,
-            :ensure => "file"
-        )
-        objects << Puppet.type(:symlink).create(
-            :path => dest,
-            :ensure => source,
-            :recurse => true
-        )
-
-        assert_apply(*objects)
-
-        assert(FileTest.symlink?(link), "Link was not created")
-    end
-end