MSYNC(2) Linux Programmer's Manual MSYNC(2)
NAME
msync - synchronize a file with a memory map
SYNOPSIS
#include <unistd.h>
#include <sys/mman.h>
#ifdef _POSIX_MAPPED_FILES
#ifdef _POSIX_SYNCHRONIZED_IO
int msync(const void *start, size_t length, int flags);
#endif
#endif
DESCRIPTION
msync flushes changes made to the in-core copy of a file that was mapped into memory using mmap(2) back to disk. Without use of this call
there is no guarantee that changes are written back before munmap(2) is called. To be more precise, the part of the file that corresponds
to the memory area starting at start and having length length is updated. The flags argument may have the bits MS_ASYNC, MS_SYNC and
MS_INVALIDATE set, but not both MS_ASYNC and MS_SYNC. MS_ASYNC specifies that an update be scheduled, but the call returns immediately.
MS_SYNC asks for an update and waits for it to complete. MS_INVALIDATE asks to invalidate other mappings of the same file (so that they
can be updated with the fresh values just written).
RETURN VALUE
On success, zero is returned. On error, -1 is returned, and errno is set appropriately.
ERRORS
EINVAL start is not a multiple of PAGESIZE, or any bit other than MS_ASYNC | MS_INVALIDATE | MS_SYNC is set in flags.
EFAULT The indicated memory (or part of it) was not mapped.
CONFORMING TO
POSIX.1b (formerly POSIX.4)
SEE ALSO
mmap(2), B.O. Gallmeister, POSIX.4, O'Reilly, pp. 128-129 and 389-391.
Linux 1.3.86 1996-04-12 MSYNC(2)
