xref: /netbsd-src/lib/libc/gen/ftok.3 (revision ae9172d6cd9432a6a1a56760d86b32c57a66c39c)
1.\" Copyright (c) 1994 SigmaSoft, Th. Lockert <tholo@sigmasoft.com>
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26.\"	$Id: ftok.3,v 1.1 1994/06/26 16:24:57 jtc Exp $
27.Dd June 24, 1994
28.Os
29.Dt ftok 3
30.Sh NAME
31.Nm ftok
32.Nd create IPC indentifier from path name
33.Sh SYNOPSIS
34.Fd #include <sys/types.h>
35.Fd #include <sys/ipc.h>
36.Ft key_t
37.Fn ftok "const char *path" "char id" ;
38.Sh DESCRIPTION
39The
40.Fn ftok
41function attempts to create a unique key suitable for use with the
42.Xr msgget 2 ,
43.Xr semget 2
44and
45.Xr shmget 2
46functions given the
47.Fa path
48of an existing file and a user-selectable
49.Fa id .
50.Pp
51The specified
52.Fa path
53must specify an existing file that is accessible to the calling process
54or the call will fail.  Also, note that links to files will return the
55same key, given the same
56.Fa id .
57.Sh RETURN VALUES
58The
59.Fn ftok
60function will return -1 if
61.Fa path
62does not exist or if it cannot be accessed by the calling process.
63.Sh SEE ALSO
64.Xr msgget 2 ,
65.Xr semget 2 ,
66.Xr shmget 2
67.Sh HISTORY
68The
69.Fn ftok
70function originate with System V and is typically used by programs
71that use the System V IPC routines.
72.Sh AUTHOR
73.Bl -tag
74Thorsten Lockert <tholo@sigmasoft.com>
75.El
76.Sh BUGS
77The returned key is computed based on the device and inode of the
78specified
79.Fa path
80in combination with the given
81.Fa id .
82Thus is is quite possible for the routine to return duplicate keys
83given that those fields are not 8- and 16-bit quantities like they
84were on System V based systems where this library routine's ancestor
85were originally created.
86