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Manpage of FTOK
FTOK
Section: Linux Programmer's Manual (3)
Updated: 2001-11-28
Index
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NAME
ftok - convert a pathname and a project identifier to a System V IPC key
SYNOPSIS
# include <sys/types.h>
# include <sys/ipc.h>
key_t ftok(const char *pathname, int proj_id);
DESCRIPTION
The
ftok
function uses the identity of the file named by the given
pathname
(which must refer to an existing, accessible file)
and the least significant 8 bits of
proj_id
(which must be nonzero) to generate a
key_t
type System V IPC key, suitable for use with
msgget(2),
semget(2),
or
shmget(2).
The resulting value is the same for all pathnames that
name the same file, when the same value of
proj_id
is used. The value returned should be different when the
(simultaneously existing) files or the project IDs differ.
RETURN VALUE
On success the generated
key_t
value is returned. On failure -1 is returned, with
errno
indicating the error as for the
stat(2)
system call.
CONFORMING TO
XPG4
NOTES
Under libc4 and libc5 (and under SunOS 4.x) the prototype was
-
key_t ftok(char *pathname, char proj_id);
Today
proj_id
is an
int,
but still only 8 bits are used. Typical usage has an ASCII character
proj_id,
that is why the behaviour is said to be undefined when
proj_id
is zero.
Of course no guarantee can be given that the resulting
key_t
is unique. Typically, a best effort attempt combines the given
proj_id
byte, the lower 16 bits of the i-node number, and the
lower 8 bits of the device number into a 32-bit result.
Collisions may easily happen, for example between files on
/dev/hda1
and files on
/dev/sda1.
SEE ALSO
ipc(5),
msgget(2),
semget(2),
shmget(2),
stat(2)
Index
- NAME
-
- SYNOPSIS
-
- DESCRIPTION
-
- RETURN VALUE
-
- CONFORMING TO
-
- NOTES
-
- SEE ALSO
-
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Time: 18:15:41 GMT, November 03, 2003