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PROLOG

       This  manual  page  is part of the POSIX Programmer's Manual.  The Linux implementation of
       this interface may differ (consult the corresponding Linux  manual  page  for  details  of
       Linux behavior), or the interface may not be implemented on Linux.

NAME

       semop — XSI semaphore operations

SYNOPSIS

       #include <sys/sem.h>

       int semop(int semid, struct sembuf *sops, size_t nsops);

DESCRIPTION

       The  semop()  function  operates  on  XSI  semaphores  (see the Base Definitions volume of
       POSIX.1‐2008,  Section  4.16,  Semaphore).   It  is  unspecified  whether  this   function
       interoperates  with  the realtime interprocess communication facilities defined in Section
       2.8, Realtime.

       The semop() function shall perform atomically a user-defined array of semaphore operations
       in array order on the set of semaphores associated with the semaphore identifier specified
       by the argument semid.

       The argument sops is a pointer to a user-defined array of semaphore operation  structures.
       The  implementation  shall  not  modify elements of this array unless the application uses
       implementation-defined extensions.

       The argument nsops is the number of such structures in the array.

       Each structure, sembuf, includes the following members:

                      ┌───────────────┬───────────────┬──────────────────────────┐
                      │ Member TypeMember NameDescription        │
                      ├───────────────┼───────────────┼──────────────────────────┤
                      │unsigned shortsem_num       │Semaphore number.         │
                      │shortsem_op        │Semaphore operation.      │
                      │shortsem_flg       │Operation flags.          │
                      └───────────────┴───────────────┴──────────────────────────┘
       Each semaphore operation specified by sem_op is performed on the  corresponding  semaphore
       specified by semid and sem_num.

       The variable sem_op specifies one of three semaphore operations:

        1. If  sem_op  is a negative integer and the calling process has alter permission, one of
           the following shall occur:

            *  If semval(see <sys/sem.h>) is greater than or  equal  to  the  absolute  value  of
               sem_op, the absolute value of sem_op is subtracted from semval.  Also, if (sem_flg
               &SEM_UNDO) is non-zero, the absolute value of sem_op shall be added to the  semadj
               value of the calling process for the specified semaphore.

            *  If  semval  is less than the absolute value of sem_op and (sem_flg &IPC_NOWAIT) is
               non-zero, semop() shall return immediately.

            *  If semval is less than the absolute value of sem_op and (sem_flg  &IPC_NOWAIT)  is
               0, semop() shall increment the semncnt associated with the specified semaphore and
               suspend execution of the calling thread until  one  of  the  following  conditions
               occurs:

               --  The  value  of  semval  becomes greater than or equal to the absolute value of
                   sem_op.  When this occurs, the value of semncnt associated with the  specified
                   semaphore  shall  be  decremented,  the  absolute  value  of  sem_op  shall be
                   subtracted from semval and, if (sem_flg &SEM_UNDO) is non-zero,  the  absolute
                   value  of sem_op shall be added to the semadj value of the calling process for
                   the specified semaphore.

               --  The semid for which the calling thread is awaiting action is removed from  the
                   system.  When  this  occurs,  errno  shall  be  set to [EIDRM] and −1 shall be
                   returned.

               --  The calling thread receives a signal that is to be caught. When  this  occurs,
                   the  value  of  semncnt  associated  with  the  specified  semaphore  shall be
                   decremented, and the calling thread  shall  resume  execution  in  the  manner
                   prescribed in sigaction().

        2. If  sem_op  is  a  positive  integer and the calling process has alter permission, the
           value of sem_op shall be added to semval and, if (sem_flg &SEM_UNDO) is non-zero,  the
           value  of  sem_op shall be subtracted from the semadj value of the calling process for
           the specified semaphore.

        3. If sem_op is 0 and the calling process has read permission, one of the following shall
           occur:

            *  If semval is 0, semop() shall return immediately.

            *  If  semval is non-zero and (sem_flg &IPC_NOWAIT) is non-zero, semop() shall return
               immediately.

            *  If semval is non-zero and (sem_flg &IPC_NOWAIT) is 0, semop() shall increment  the
               semzcnt  associated  with  the  specified  semaphore  and suspend execution of the
               calling thread until one of the following occurs:

               --  The value of semval becomes 0, at which time the value of  semzcnt  associated
                   with the specified semaphore shall be decremented.

               --  The  semid for which the calling thread is awaiting action is removed from the
                   system. When this occurs, errno shall be  set  to  [EIDRM]  and  −1  shall  be
                   returned.

               --  The  calling  thread receives a signal that is to be caught. When this occurs,
                   the value  of  semzcnt  associated  with  the  specified  semaphore  shall  be
                   decremented,  and  the  calling  thread  shall  resume execution in the manner
                   prescribed in sigaction().

       Upon successful completion, the value of sempid for each semaphore specified in the  array
       pointed  to  by  sops  shall  be  set  to the process ID of the calling process. Also, the
       sem_otime timestamp shall be set to the current time, as described in Section  2.7.1,  IPC
       General Description.

RETURN VALUE

       Upon  successful completion, semop() shall return 0; otherwise, it shall return −1 and set
       errno to indicate the error.

ERRORS

       The semop() function shall fail if:

       E2BIG  The value of nsops is greater than the system-imposed maximum.

       EACCES Operation permission is denied  to  the  calling  process;  see  Section  2.7,  XSI
              Interprocess Communication.

       EAGAIN The  operation  would  result  in  suspension  of  the calling process but (sem_flg
              &IPC_NOWAIT) is non-zero.

       EFBIG  The value of sem_num is greater than or equal to the number of  semaphores  in  the
              set associated with semid.

       EIDRM  The semaphore identifier semid is removed from the system.

       EINTR  The semop() function was interrupted by a signal.

       EINVAL The value of semid is not a valid semaphore identifier, or the number of individual
              semaphores for which the calling process  requests  a  SEM_UNDO  would  exceed  the
              system-imposed limit.

       ENOSPC The  limit  on  the  number  of individual processes requesting a SEM_UNDO would be
              exceeded.

       ERANGE An operation would cause a semval to  overflow  the  system-imposed  limit,  or  an
              operation would cause a semadj value to overflow the system-imposed limit.

       The following sections are informative.

EXAMPLES

   Setting Values in Semaphores
       The  following  example  sets  the  values of the two semaphores associated with the semid
       identifier to the values contained in the sb array.

           #include <sys/sem.h>
           ...
           int semid;
           struct sembuf sb[2];
           int nsops = 2;
           int result;

           /* Code to initialize semid. */
           ...

           /* Adjust value of semaphore in the semaphore array semid. */
           sb[0].sem_num = 0;
           sb[0].sem_op = -1;
           sb[0].sem_flg = SEM_UNDO | IPC_NOWAIT;
           sb[1].sem_num = 1;
           sb[1].sem_op = 1;
           sb[1].sem_flg = 0;

           result = semop(semid, sb, nsops);

   Creating a Semaphore Identifier
       The following example gets a unique semaphore key using the ftok() function, then  gets  a
       semaphore  ID  associated  with  that key using the semget() function (the first call also
       tests to make sure the semaphore exists).  If the semaphore does not  exist,  the  program
       creates  it,  as  shown by the second call to semget().  In creating the semaphore for the
       queuing process, the program attempts to create one semaphore with  read/write  permission
       for  all.  It  also uses the IPC_EXCL flag, which forces semget() to fail if the semaphore
       already exists.

       After creating the semaphore, the program uses calls to semctl() and semop() to initialize
       it  to the values in the sbuf array. The number of processes that can execute concurrently
       without queuing is initially set to 2. The final call  to  semget()  creates  a  semaphore
       identifier that can be used later in the program.

       Processes  that  obtain  semid  without  creating  it check that sem_otime is non-zero, to
       ensure that the creating process has completed the semop() initialization.

       The final call to semop() acquires the semaphore and waits until it is free; the  SEM_UNDO
       option  releases  the  semaphore when the process exits, waiting until there are less than
       two processes running concurrently.

           #include <stdio.h>
           #include <sys/sem.h>
           #include <sys/stat.h>
           #include <errno.h>
           #include <stdlib.h>
           ...
           key_t semkey;
           int semid;
           struct sembuf sbuf;
           union semun {
               int val;
               struct semid_ds *buf;
               unsigned short *array;
           } arg;
           struct semid_ds ds;
           ...
           /* Get unique key for semaphore. */
           if ((semkey = ftok("/tmp", 'a')) == (key_t) -1) {
               perror("IPC error: ftok"); exit(1);
           }

           /* Get semaphore ID associated with this key. */
           if ((semid = semget(semkey, 0, 0)) == -1) {

               /* Semaphore does not exist - Create. */
               if ((semid = semget(semkey, 1, IPC_CREAT | IPC_EXCL | S_IRUSR |
                   S_IWUSR | S_IRGRP | S_IWGRP | S_IROTH | S_IWOTH)) != -1)
               {
                   /* Initialize the semaphore. */
                   arg.val = 0;
                   sbuf.sem_num = 0;
                   sbuf.sem_op = 2;  /* This is the number of runs without queuing. */
                   sbuf.sem_flg = 0;
                   if (semctl(semid, 0, SETVAL, arg) == -1
                       || semop(semid, &sbuf, 1) == -1) {
                       perror("IPC error: semop"); exit(1);
                   }
               }
               else if (errno == EEXIST) {
                   if ((semid = semget(semkey, 0, 0)) == -1) {
                       perror("IPC error 1: semget"); exit(1);
                   }
                   goto check_init;
               }
               else {
                   perror("IPC error 2: semget"); exit(1);
               }
           }
           else
           {
               /* Check that semid has completed initialization. */
               /* An application can use a retry loop at this point rather than
                  exiting. */
               check_init:
               arg.buf = &ds;
               if (semctl(semid, 0, IPC_STAT, arg) < 0) {
                   perror("IPC error 3: semctl"); exit(1);
               }
               if (ds.sem_otime == 0) {
                   perror("IPC error 4: semctl"); exit(1);
               }
           }
           ...
           sbuf.sem_num = 0;
           sbuf.sem_op = -1;
           sbuf.sem_flg = SEM_UNDO;
           if (semop(semid, &sbuf, 1) == -1) {
               perror("IPC Error: semop"); exit(1);
           }

APPLICATION USAGE

       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  Section  2.7,  XSI  Interprocess
       Communication can be easily modified to use the alternative interfaces.

RATIONALE

       None.

FUTURE DIRECTIONS

       None.

SEE ALSO

       Section  2.7, XSI Interprocess Communication, Section 2.8, Realtime, exec, exit(), fork(),
       semctl(), semget(), sem_close(), sem_destroy(),  sem_getvalue(),  sem_init(),  sem_open(),
       sem_post(), sem_trywait(), sem_unlink()

       The  Base  Definitions  volume  of  POSIX.1‐2008,  Section  4.16,  Semaphore, <sys_ipc.h>,
       <sys_sem.h>, <sys_types.h>

COPYRIGHT

       Portions of this text are reprinted and  reproduced  in  electronic  form  from  IEEE  Std
       1003.1,  2013  Edition,  Standard  for Information Technology -- Portable Operating System
       Interface (POSIX), The Open Group Base Specifications Issue 7, Copyright (C) 2013  by  the
       Institute  of  Electrical  and  Electronics  Engineers,  Inc and The Open Group.  (This is
       POSIX.1-2008 with the  2013  Technical  Corrigendum  1  applied.)  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.unix.org/online.html .

       Any  typographical  or  formatting errors that appear in this page are most likely to have
       been introduced during the conversion of the source files to man page  format.  To  report
       such errors, see https://www.kernel.org/doc/man-pages/reporting_bugs.html .