Ragnar Branæs - FICO is facing a similar issue right now. I don't believe there is a way to delete released objects currently. Watching closely. 

Hi Ragnar, I just saw your question and tested it briefly. I created a new object (which created its version 1 and the source language automatically). I then released it. And then I deleted it successfully.

This corresponds to my memory of actually using Tridion Docs in production.

What definitely prevents you deleting an object is when other objects refer to it. Then you need to delete those first. For example going down the tree, deleting a publication, then its root map, then branch maps, then topics, then conref libraries and images. This is a precaution of course, to prevent deleting something that is used by something else that is still needed. Even if that need is just for an audit trail.

(Going down that tree of deletion can be a bit of a job if you have lots to delete, though of course that’s automatable via the API!)

Could you try creating a new topic, then releasing it, then deleting it?

I hope that I understand your question correctly, and also that I am not misleading you! Nevertheless my memory and my quick test do coincide on this point.

 Joe Pairman , I noticed in my 15.2 installation that a user has to have an Administrator role in order to delete objects in a released state. In fact, the "Delete" button in Organize Space is not visible for released objects unless the user has an Administrator role. I don't see anywhere in the UI or on the server where that functionality is configured, however. Is it hard coded in some way, or is it possible to configure it? Elizabeth Gschwind Ragnar Branæs 

Mark Novembrino , I think that privilege is still limited to Administrators. It’s not on the configurable list here: https://docs.rws.com/en-US/tridion-docs-main-documentation-1165616/user-privileges-986494

Of course it is a risky thing, deleting a released object. The idea of releasing, and the associated progress towards freezing a baseline / releasing an output, is to protect content from being deleted inadvertently. The limitation to admins mostly prevented such accidents. And I don’t think this came up as a suggestion when we made other actions configurable to non-admins, in the list linked above.

But if you had a strong reason for allowing some non-admin roles to delete released objects, it would be good if you could raise that in the Ideas section, and we could see if others would value that too.

Thanks, Joe Pairman . I don't have any reasons and agree with your caution about deleting released objects. Perhaps Ragnar Branæs  or Elizabeth Gschwind  have more input for their needs. I was just jumping in to help with the question.

To clarify, it's easy to delete a single new object. It's when references/links get involved that the challenge mounts. 

Hi Ragnar,

Deleting released objects is possible. However, in a system where referential integrity of links and hyperlinks is a corner stone.

The key thing is to see the system as a pyramid of links

1. PublicationOutput, released (so baseline frozen) or not, links over root map and resources to content objects. This could be multiple PublicationOutputs reusing the content objects.
2. DITA Maps link to DITA Topics or DITA Library Topics
3. DITA Topics link to Library Topics
4. DITA Topics and/or Library Topics link to the Images

So to remove, it is easiest to start with the object types that have no incoming links.

For Content Objects (so DITA Maps, Topics, etc) you need to configure a Released to Draft status transitions under the Settings area.

Since 14SP4/14.0.4 there is a privilege to "Unrelease" PublicationOutputs as mentioned on https://docs.rws.com/en-US/tridion-docs-main-documentation-1165616/user-privileges-986494 as VPRIVILEGEUNRELEASEPUBLICATIONOUTPUT that "Unrelease" will implicitly also "Unfreeze" a Baseline. Remember that the Baseline is an internal object that tracks content objects (over LogicalId typically GUIDs, and of course versions).

Typically Admins over Administrator user role get all privileges, including "Unrelease Publication Output Privilege". The one thing that does not happen - from the top of my head - is that the user interface will not show an "Unrelease" button next to the "Release" button of Publication Outputs in Organize Space. The functionality is only available over customer extension and the API to enable clean up operations.

Putting this all together, you need the API, for example over ISHRemote, to resolve the tip of the pyramid.

New-IshSession ...
Set-IshPublicationOutput -LogicalId GUID-xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx -Version '1.1.1' -LanguageCombination 'en' -OutputFormat 'PDF (A4 Manual)' -Metadata (Set-IshMetadataField -Level Lng -Name FISHPUBSTATUS -ValueType ELEMENT -Value VPUBSTATUSPUBLISHEDDRAFT)

1. When you did an "Unrelease" PublicationOutputs of ALL PublicationOutputs linking to the content objects you can continue. 
2. "Unrelease" Maps in Organize Space or over the API
3. "Unrelease" Topics in Organize Space or over the API
4. "Unrelease" Library Topics in Organize Space or over the API
5. "Unrelease" Images in Organize Space or over the API

I hope the above contains some hints on what you need. If you are still blocked, can you describe the steps and potential errors you see in detail?

Best wishes,
Dave

PS: Wrote this mostly from memory, did not execute it in full. Note to self, anything else required to unfreeze the baseline ;)

Hello everybody!

I see from many replies here that as an administrator I am supposed to be able to release objects. What I need to do is to release certain publications and bookmaps, nothing else. I have moved to Tridion Docs 15.2, I am an administrator, but I am still not able to delete released publications. It is imperative that I can do so after a major reorganization in our company.

Please advice.

regards Ragnar

It is possible to revert the publication output status from released back to draft using the PublicationOutput 2.5 SetMetadata web service API. Using this API, you can set <ishfield name='FISHPUBSTATUS' level='lng'>Draft</ishfield>. Once all the publication outputs are back in draft state, you can delete the publication. More info about the API here: docs.rws.com/.../publicationoutput-2-5-setmetadata-70082

I am aware of the issues related to released objects. The database is after all designed to keep released objects "safe". In our case, we are going through a large reorganization, and our database has been duplicated into "ours" and "theirs" repository. We need to delete a few publications and bookmaps from "their" repository. In my experience, if you start by deleting the publication (all versions!) you can continue with the next level objects - bookmaps - and so forth. I appreciate all help here, and I am sure that we are not the only Tridion Docs customer with such needs.

Mark Novembrino , I saw your input on the use of an API, thanks! I will dig into that, as I do not know how to access the database with an API.