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AA-LY15B-TE

June 1990

253 pages

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Document:	ULTRIX Reference Pages Section 2: System Calls
Order Number:	AA-LY15B-TE
Revision:	000
Pages:	253
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ULTRIX

Reference Pages
Section 2: System Calls

Order Number: AA-LY15B-TE

ULTRIX

Reference Pages Section 2: System Calls

Order Number: AA-LY15B-TE
June 1990

Product Version:

ULTRIX Version 4.0 or higher

This manual defines system calls (entries into the ULTRIX kernel) that are used by all
programmers for both RISe and VAX platforms.

digital equipment corporation
maynard, massachusetts

Restricted Rights: Use, duplication, or disclosure by the U.S. Government is subject to restrictions as set forth in
subparagraph (c) (1) (ii) of the Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software clause of DFARS 252.227-7013.

Portions of the information herein are derived from copyrighted material as permitted under license agreements with
AT&T and the Regents of the University of California. © AT&T 1979, 1984. All Rights Reserved.
Portions of the information herein are derived from copyrighted material as permitted under a license agreement with
Sun MicroSystems, Inc. © Sun MicroSystems, Inc, 1985. All Rights Reserved.
Portions of this document © Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1984, 1985, 1986,
1988.
The information in this document is subject to change without notice and should not be construed as a commitment
by Digital Equipment Corporation. Digital Equipment Corporation assumes no responsibility for any errors that may
appear in this document.
The software described in this document is furnished under a license and may be used or copied only in accordance
with the terms of such license.
No responsibility is assumed for the use or reliability of software on equipment that is not supplied by Digital or its
affiliated companies.

The following are trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation:

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DECUS
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DTIF
MASSBUS
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ULTRIX
ULTRIX Mail Connection

ULTRIX Worksystem Software
UNIBUS
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Network File System and NFS are trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc.
POSIX is a registered trademark of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
System V is a registered trademark of AT&T.
UNIX is a registered trademark of AT&T in the USA and other countries.

About Reference Pages

The ULTRIX Reference Pages describe commands, system calls, routines, file
formats, and special files for RISe and V AX platforms.

Sections
The reference pages are divided into eight sections according to topic. Within each
section, the reference pages are organized alphabetically by title, except Section 3,
which is divided into subsections. Each section and most subsections have an
introductory reference page called intra that describes the organization and
anything unique to that section.
Some reference pages carry a one- to three-letter suffix after the section number, for
example, scan(1mh). The suffix indicates that there is a "family" of reference
pages for that utility or feature. The Section 3 subsections all use suffixes and other
sections may also have suffixes.
Following are the sections that make up the ULTRIX Reference Pages.

Section 1: Commands
This section describes commands that are available to all ULTRIX users. Section 1 is
split between two binders. The first binder contains reference pages for titles that fall
between A and L. The second binder contains reference pages for titles that fall
between M and Z.

Section 2: System Calls
This section defines system calls (entries into the ULTRIX kernel) that are used by
all programmers. The introduction to Section 2, intra(2), lists error numbers with
brief descriptions of their meanings. The introduction also defines many of the terms
used in this section.

Section 3: Routines
This section describes the routines available in ULTRIX libraries. Routines are
sometimes referred to as subroutines or functions.

Section 4: Special Files
This section describes special files, related device driver functions, databases, and
network support.

Section 5: File Formats
This section describes the format of system files and how the files are used. The files
described include assembler and link editor output, system accounting, and file
system formats.

Section 6: Games
The reference pages in this section describe the games that are available in the
unsupported software subset. The reference pages for games are in the document
Reference Pages for Unsupported Software.

Section 7: Macro Packages and Conventions
This section contains miscellaneous information, including ASCII character codes,
mail addressing formats, text formatting macros, and a description of the root file
system.

Section 8: Maintenance
This section describes commands for system operation and maintenance.

Platform Labels
The ULTRIX Reference Pages contain entries for both RISC and VAX platforms.
Pages that have no platform label beside the title apply to both platforms. Reference
pages that apply only to RISC platforms have a "RISC" label beside the title and the
VAX-only reference pages that apply only to V AX platforms are likewise labeled
with ' , VAX. " If each platform has the same command, system call, routine, file
format, or special file, but functions differently on the different platforms, both
reference pages are included, with the RISC page first.

Reference Page Format
Each reference page follows the same general format. Common to all reference pages
is a title consisting of the name of a command or a descriptive title, followed by a
section number; for example, date(1). This title is used throughout the
documentation set.
The headings in each reference page provide specific information. The standard
headings are:
Name

Provides the name of the entry and gives a short description.

Syntax

Describes the command syntax or the routine definition. Section 5
reference pages do not use the Syntax heading.

Description

Provides a detailed description of the entry's features, usage, and
syntax variations.

Options

Describes the command-line options.

Restrictions

Describes limitations or restrictions on the use of a command or
routine.

Examples

Provides examples of how a command or routine is used.

iv About Reference Pages

Return Values

Describes the values returned by a system call or routine. Used in
Sections 2 and 3 only.

Diagnostics

Describes diagnostic and error messages that can appear.

Files

Lists related files that are either a part of the command or used
during execution.

Environment

Describes the operation of the system call or routine when
compiled in the POSIX and SYSTEM V environments. If the
environment has no effect on the operation, this heading is not
used. Used in Sections 2 and 3 only.