SEM_OPEN(3)						     Linux Programmer's Manual						       SEM_OPEN(3)

NAME

       sem_open - initialize and open a named semaphore

SYNOPSIS

       #include <fcntl.h>	    /* For O_* constants */
       #include <sys/stat.h>	    /* For mode constants */
       #include <semaphore.h>

       sem_t *sem_open(const char *name, int oflag);
       sem_t *sem_open(const char *name, int oflag,
		       mode_t mode, unsigned int value);

       Link with -lrt or -pthread.

DESCRIPTION

       sem_open()  creates  a  new  POSIX semaphore or opens an existing semaphore.  The semaphore is identified by name.  For details of the con-
       struction of name, see sem_overview(7).

       The oflag argument specifies flags that control the operation of the call.  (Definitions of the flags values can be obtained  by  including
       <fcntl.h>.)  If O_CREAT is specified in oflag, then the semaphore is created if it does not already exist.  The owner (user ID) of the sem-
       aphore is set to the effective user ID of the calling process.  The group ownership (group ID) is set to the  effective	group  ID  of  the
       calling	process.   If both O_CREAT and O_EXCL are specified in oflag, then an error is returned if a semaphore with the given name already
       exists.

       If O_CREAT is specified in oflag, then two additional arguments must be supplied.  The mode argument specifies the permissions to be placed
       on the new semaphore, as for open(2).  (Symbolic definitions for the permissions bits can be obtained by including <sys/stat.h>.)  The per-
       missions settings are masked against the process umask.	Both read and write permission should be granted to each class of user	that  will
       access the semaphore.  The value argument specifies the initial value for the new semaphore.  If O_CREAT is specified, and a semaphore with
       the given name already exists, then mode and value are ignored.

RETURN VALUE

       On success, sem_open() returns the address of the new semaphore; this address is used when calling other semaphore-related  functions.	On
       error, sem_open() returns SEM_FAILED, with errno set to indicate the error.

ERRORS

       EACCES The semaphore exists, but the caller does not have permission to open it.

       EEXIST Both O_CREAT and O_EXCL were specified in oflag, but a semaphore with this name already exists.

       EINVAL value was greater than SEM_VALUE_MAX.

       EINVAL name consists of just "/", followed by no other characters.

       EMFILE The process already has the maximum number of files and open.

       ENAMETOOLONG
	      name was too long.

       ENFILE The system limit on the total number of open files has been reached.

       ENOENT The  O_CREAT flag was not specified in oflag and no semaphore with this name exists; or, O_CREAT was specified, but name wasn't well
	      formed.

       ENOMEM Insufficient memory.

CONFORMING TO

       POSIX.1-2001.

SEE ALSO

       sem_close(3), sem_getvalue(3), sem_post(3), sem_unlink(3), sem_wait(3), sem_overview(7)

COLOPHON

       This page is part of release 3.25 of the Linux man-pages project.  A description of the project, and information about reporting bugs,  can
       be found at http://www.kernel.org/doc/man-pages/.

Linux								    2009-02-20							       SEM_OPEN(3)