exec_with_loader(2)						System Calls Manual					       exec_with_loader(2)

NAME

       exec_with_loader - Executes a file with a loader

SYNOPSIS

       int exec_with_loader (	   int flags,	   const char *loader,	    const char *file,	   char * const argv[ ],      char * const envp[ ]
       );

PARAMETERS

       Specifies flags to be passed to the loader.  Points to a pathname that identifies a regular, executable, process image file  that  contains
       the  loader.   This  image  file must be a nonshared image.  Points to a pathname that identifies a regular, executable process image file.
       This image file must be a call-shared image.  Specifies an array of character pointers to null-terminated strings.  Specifies an  array	of
       character pointers to null-terminated strings, constituting the environment for the new process.

DESCRIPTION

       The exec_with_loader() function replaces the current process image with a new process image, in a manner similar to what the exec functions
       do. Both the loader parameter and the file parameter point to pathnames that identify regular, executable files called process image files.
       Unlike  the  exec  functions, which construct the new process image from the file identified by the file parameter, exec_with_loader() con-
       structs the new process image from the file identified by the loader parameter.

									  Note
       Throughout this reference page, the regular, executable, process image file specified by the loader parameter is referred to as the program
       loader, and the regular, executable, process image file specified by the file parameter is referred to as the file.
       The  loader  image cannot be linked at the default user addresses. You must find another place to link it. One acceptable place to link the
       loader image is at the address space defined for the loader in the /usr/shlib/so_locations file.

       After the exec_with_loader() function successfully loads the program loader, it transfers control to the  program  loader  and  effectively
       passes  the  file  parameter.  Under  normal  usage, the program loader will then load (that is, merge) the file into the newly constructed
       process image, along with any object files upon which the program (that is, the file) depends. The typical use of exec_with_loader() is	to
       load programs that contain unresolved external references, for example, programs that require the use of a shared library.

       The  exec_with_loader()	function  implements  and  preserves  all of the semantics of the exec functions, with respect to the file.  These
       include the handling of the argv and envp parameters, command interpreters, close-on-exec processing, signals, set user ID and set group ID
       processing, the process attributes and error returns.

       The  loader  parameter  may  be	null,  in which case the exec_with_loader() function loads the default program loader (/sbin/loader).  The
       exec_with_loader() function also loads the default program loader under either of the following sets of	conditions,  even  if  the  loader
       parameter  points  to a valid program loader: If the set user ID mode bit of the file is set (see the chmod() function) and the owner ID of
       the file is not equal to the effective user ID of the process If the set group ID mode bit of the file is set and the group ID of the  file
       is not equal to the effective group ID of the process.

       The setting of the user ID or set group ID mode bits on the program loader have no effect whatsoever.

RETURN VALUES

       If the exec_with_loader() function returns to the calling process image, an error has occurred; the return value is -1, and errno is set to
       indicate the error.

ERRORS

       If the exec_with_loader() function fails, errno may be set to one of the following values: Search permission  is  denied  for  a  directory
       listed  in  either file's path prefix, or either file denies execution permission, or either file is not a regular file and the implementa-
       tion does not support execution of files of its type.  Note that the exec_with_loader() function references two files, one specified by the
       loader parameter and one specified by the file parameter.  The length of the loader or file parameters exceeds PATH_MAX, or a pathname com-
       ponent is longer than NAME_MAX and _POSIX_NO_TRUNC is in effect for that file.  One or more components of either file's pathname  does  not
       exist,  or  the	loader	or  file parameter points to an empty string.  Note that the exec_with_loader() function references two files, one
       specified by the loader parameter and one specified by the file parameter.  A component of either file's path prefix is	not  a	directory.
       Note that the exec_with_loader() function references two files, one specified by the loader parameter and one specified by the file parame-
       ter.  The file specified by the loader parameter has the appropriate access permission but is not in the proper format.	The loader or file
       parameter is an invalid address.  Too many symbolic links were encountered in pathname resolution.  Insufficient memory is available.

RELATED INFORMATION

       Functions: exec(2) delim off

															       exec_with_loader(2)