semctl(2) System Calls Manual semctl(2)Name
semctl - semaphore control operations
Syntax
#include <sys/types.h>
#include <sys/ipc.h>
#include <sys/sem.h>
int semctl (semid, semnum, cmd, arg)
int semid, cmd;
int semnum;
union semun {
int val;
struct semid_ds *buf;
ushort array[];
} arg;
Description
The system call provides a variety of semaphore control operations as specified by cmd. The following cmds are executed with respect to
the semaphore specified by semid and semnum:
GETVAL Return the value of semval. For further information, see
SETVAL Set the value of semval to arg.val. When this command is successfully executed, the semadj value corresponding to the spec-
ified semaphore in all processes is cleared.
GETPID Return the value of sempid.
GETNCNT Return the value of semncnt.
GETZCNT Return the value of semzcnt.
The following cmds return and set every semval in the set of semaphores:
GETALL Place semvals into array pointed to by arg.array.
SETALL Set semvals according to the array pointed to by arg.array When this command is successfully executed, the semadj values
corresponding to each specified semaphore in all processes are cleared.
The following cmds are also available:
IPC_STAT Place the current value of each member of the data structure associated with semid into the structure pointed to by
arg.buf. The contents of this structure are defined in
IPC_SET Set the value of the following members of the data structure associated with semid to the corresponding value found in the
structure pointed to by arg.buf:
sem_perm.uid
sem_perm.gid
sem_perm.mode /* only low 9 bits */
This command can only be executed by a process that has an effective user ID equal to superuser or to the values of sem_perm.uid or
sem_perm.cuid in the data structure associated with semid.
IPC_RMID Remove the semaphore identifier specified by semid from the system and destroy the set of semaphores and data structure
associated with it. This cmd can only be executed by a process that has an effective user ID equal to either that of supe-
ruser or to the value of sem_perm.uid in the data structure associated with semid.
Return Values
Upon successful completion, the value returned depends on cmd, as follows:
GETVAL The value of semval.
GETPID The value of sempid.
GETNCNT The value of semncnt.
GETZCNT The value of semzcnt.
All other A value of 0.
Otherwise, a value of -1 is returned and errno is set to indicate the error.
Diagnostics
The system call fails if any of the following is true:
[EINVAL] The semid is not a valid semaphore identifier.
[EINVAL] The semnum is less than zero or greater than sem_nsems.
[EINVAL] The cmd is not a valid command.
[EACCES] Operation permission is denied to the calling process. For further information, see
[ERANGE] The cmd is SETVAL or SETALL, and the value to which semval is to be set is greater than the system imposed maximum.
[EPERM] The cmd is equal to IPC_RMID or IPC_SET and the effective user ID of the calling process is not equal to that of superuser
nor to the value of sem_perm.uid in the data structure associated with semid.
[EFAULT] The arg.buf points to an illegal address.
See Alsoerrno(2), intro(2), semget(2), semop(2)semctl(2)
Check Out this Related Man Page
SEMCTL(3P) POSIX Programmer's Manual SEMCTL(3P)PROLOG
This manual page is part of the POSIX Programmer's Manual. The Linux implementation of this interface may differ (consult the correspond-
ing Linux manual page for details of Linux behavior), or the interface may not be implemented on Linux.
NAME
semctl - XSI semaphore control operations
SYNOPSIS
#include <sys/sem.h>
int semctl(int semid, int semnum, int cmd, ...);
DESCRIPTION
The semctl() function operates on XSI semaphores (see the Base Definitions volume of IEEE Std 1003.1-2001, Section 4.15, Semaphore). It is
unspecified whether this function interoperates with the realtime interprocess communication facilities defined in Realtime .
The semctl() function provides a variety of semaphore control operations as specified by cmd. The fourth argument is optional and depends
upon the operation requested. If required, it is of type union semun, which the application shall explicitly declare:
union semun {
int val;
struct semid_ds *buf;
unsigned short *array;
} arg;
The following semaphore control operations as specified by cmd are executed with respect to the semaphore specified by semid and semnum.
The level of permission required for each operation is shown with each command; see XSI Interprocess Communication . The symbolic names for
the values of cmd are defined in the <sys/sem.h> header:
GETVAL Return the value of semval; see <sys/sem.h>. Requires read permission.
SETVAL Set the value of semval to arg.val, where arg is the value of the fourth argument to semctl(). When this command is successfully
executed, the semadj value corresponding to the specified semaphore in all processes is cleared. Requires alter permission; see XSI
Interprocess Communication .
GETPID Return the value of sempid. Requires read permission.
GETNCNT
Return the value of semncnt. Requires read permission.
GETZCNT
Return the value of semzcnt. Requires read permission.
The following values of cmd operate on each semval in the set of semaphores:
GETALL Return the value of semval for each semaphore in the semaphore set and place into the array pointed to by arg.array, where arg is
the fourth argument to semctl(). Requires read permission.
SETALL Set the value of semval for each semaphore in the semaphore set according to the array pointed to by arg.array, where arg is the
fourth argument to semctl(). When this command is successfully executed, the semadj values corresponding to each specified semaphore
in all processes are cleared. Requires alter permission.
The following values of cmd are also available:
IPC_STAT
Place the current value of each member of the semid_ds data structure associated with semid into the structure pointed to by
arg.buf, where arg is the fourth argument to semctl(). The contents of this structure are defined in <sys/sem.h>. Requires read per-
mission.
IPC_SET
Set the value of the following members of the semid_ds data structure associated with semid to the corresponding value found in the
structure pointed to by arg.buf, where arg is the fourth argument to semctl():
sem_perm.uid
sem_perm.gid
sem_perm.mode
The mode bits specified in IPC General Description are copied into the corresponding bits of the sem_perm.mode associated with semid. The
stored values of any other bits are unspecified.
This command can only be executed by a process that has an effective user ID equal to either that of a process with appropriate privileges
or to the value of sem_perm.cuid or sem_perm.uid in the semid_ds data structure associated with semid.
IPC_RMID
Remove the semaphore identifier specified by semid from the system and destroy the set of semaphores and semid_ds data structure
associated with it. This command can only be executed by a process that has an effective user ID equal to either that of a process
with appropriate privileges or to the value of sem_perm.cuid or sem_perm.uid in the semid_ds data structure associated with semid.
RETURN VALUE
If successful, the value returned by semctl() depends on cmd as follows:
GETVAL The value of semval.
GETPID The value of sempid.
GETNCNT
The value of semncnt.
GETZCNT
The value of semzcnt.
All others
0.
Otherwise, semctl() shall return -1 and set errno to indicate the error.
ERRORS
The semctl() function shall fail if:
EACCES Operation permission is denied to the calling process; see XSI Interprocess Communication .
EINVAL The value of semid is not a valid semaphore identifier, or the value of semnum is less than 0 or greater than or equal to sem_nsems,
or the value of cmd is not a valid command.
EPERM The argument cmd is equal to IPC_RMID or IPC_SET and the effective user ID of the calling process is not equal to that of a process
with appropriate privileges and it is not equal to the value of sem_perm.cuid or sem_perm.uid in the data structure associated with
semid.
ERANGE The argument cmd is equal to SETVAL or SETALL and the value to which semval is to be set is greater than the system-imposed maximum.
The following sections are informative.
EXAMPLES
None.
APPLICATION USAGE
The fourth parameter in the SYNOPSIS section is now specified as "..." in order to avoid a clash with the ISO C standard when referring to
the union semun (as defined in Issue 3) and for backwards-compatibility.
The POSIX Realtime Extension defines alternative interfaces for interprocess communication. Application developers who need to use IPC
should design their applications so that modules using the IPC routines described in XSI Interprocess Communication can be easily modified
to use the alternative interfaces.
RATIONALE
None.
FUTURE DIRECTIONS
None.
SEE ALSO
XSI Interprocess Communication, Realtime, semget(), semop(), sem_close(), sem_destroy(), sem_getvalue(), sem_init(), sem_open(),
sem_post(), sem_unlink(), sem_wait(), the Base Definitions volume of IEEE Std 1003.1-2001, <sys/sem.h>
COPYRIGHT
Portions of this text are reprinted and reproduced in electronic form from IEEE Std 1003.1, 2003 Edition, Standard for Information Technol-
ogy -- Portable Operating System Interface (POSIX), The Open Group Base Specifications Issue 6, Copyright (C) 2001-2003 by the Institute of
Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc and The Open Group. In the event of any discrepancy between this version and the original IEEE
and The Open Group Standard, the original IEEE and The Open Group Standard is the referee document. The original Standard can be obtained
online at http://www.opengroup.org/unix/online.html .
IEEE /The Open Group 2003 SEMCTL(3P)