NAME

       cap_copy_ext,   cap_size,   cap_copy_int   -   capability  state  external  representation
       translation

SYNOPSIS

       #include <sys/capability.h>

       ssize_t cap_size(cap_t cap_p);

       ssize_t cap_copy_ext(void *ext_p, cap_t cap_p, ssize_t size);

       cap_t cap_copy_int(const void *ext_p);

       Link with -lcap.

DESCRIPTION

       These functions translate between internal and external representations  of  a  capability
       state.    The   external   representation   is   an   exportable,  contiguous,  persistent
       representation of a capability state in user-managed space.  The  internal  representation
       is managed by the capability functions in working storage.

       cap_size()  returns  the  total  length  (in  bytes)  that the capability state in working
       storage identified by cap_p would require when converted by cap_copy_ext().  This function
       is  used  primarily  to  determine the amount of buffer space that must be provided to the
       cap_copy_ext() function in order to hold the capability data record created from cap_p.

       cap_copy_ext() copies a capability state in working storage,  identified  by  cap_p,  from
       system managed space to user-managed space (pointed to by ext_p) and returns the length of
       the resulting data record.  The size parameter represents the maximum size, in  bytes,  of
       the  resulting data record.  The cap_copy_ext() function will do any conversions necessary
       to convert the capability state from the  undefined  internal  format  to  an  exportable,
       contiguous,  persistent  data  record.  It is the responsibility of the user to allocate a
       buffer large enough to hold the copied data.  The  buffer  length  required  to  hold  the
       copied data may be obtained by a call to the cap_size() function.

       cap_copy_int()  copies  a  capability  state from a capability data record in user-managed
       space to a new capability state in working storage, allocating any memory  necessary,  and
       returning  a  pointer to the newly created capability state.  The function initializes the
       capability state and then copies the capability state from the record pointed to by  ext_p
       into  the  capability  state,  converting,  if  necessary,  the  data  from  a contiguous,
       persistent format to an undefined, internal format.  Once copied into internal format, the
       object   can   be   manipulated  by  the  capability  state  manipulation  functions  (see
       cap_clear(3)).  Note that the record pointed to by ext_p must have been  obtained  from  a
       previous,  successful  call to cap_copy_ext() for this function to work successfully.  The
       caller should free any releasable memory, when the capability state in working storage  is
       no longer required, by calling cap_free() with the cap_t as an argument.

RETURN VALUE

       cap_size() returns the length required to hold a capability data record on success, and -1
       on failure.

       cap_copy_ext() returns the number of bytes placed in the user managed space pointed to  by
       ext_p on success, and -1 on failure.

       cap_copy_int()  returns a pointer to the newly created capability state in working storage
       on success, and NULL on failure.

       On failure, errno is set to EINVAL, ENOMEM, or ERANGE.

CONFORMING TO

       These functions are specified in the withdrawn POSIX.1e draft specification.

SEE ALSO

       libcap(3), cap_clear(3), cap_from_text(3), cap_get_file(3), cap_get_proc(3),  cap_init(3),
       capabilities(7)

                                            2008-05-11                            CAP_COPY_EXT(3)