NAME

       cap_get_file, cap_set_file, cap_get_fd, cap_set_fd - capability manipulation on files

SYNOPSIS

       #include <sys/capability.h>

       cap_t cap_get_file(const char *path_p);

       int cap_set_file(const char *path_p, cap_t cap_p);

       cap_t cap_get_fd(int fd);

       int cap_set_fd(int fd, cap_t caps);

       uid_t cap_get_nsowner(cap_t caps);

       int cap_set_nsowner(cap_t caps, uid_t rootuid);

       Link with -lcap.

DESCRIPTION

       cap_get_file()  and cap_get_fd() allocate a capability state in working storage and set it
       to represent the capability state of the pathname pointed to by path_p or the file open on
       descriptor  fd.   These  functions return a pointer to the newly created capability state.
       The effects of reading the capability state from any file other than  a  regular  file  is
       undefined.   The  caller  should  free any releasable memory, when the capability state in
       working storage is no longer required, by calling cap_free() with the  used  cap_t  as  an
       argument.

       cap_set_file()  and  cap_set_fd()  set  the  values  for  all  capability  flags  for  all
       capabilities for the pathname pointed to by path_p or the file open on descriptor fd, with
       the  capability  state  identified  by  cap_p.   The  new  capability state of the file is
       completely determined by the contents of cap_p.   A  NULL  value  for  cap_p  is  used  to
       indicate  that  capabilities  for  the  file  should  be  deleted.  For these functions to
       succeed, the calling process must have the CAP_SETFCAP capability in its effective set and
       either  the  effective  user  ID  of  the process must match the file owner or the calling
       process must have the CAP_FOWNER capability in its effective capability set.  The  effects
       of writing the capability state to any file type other than a regular file are undefined.

       A  capability  set  held  in  memory  can  be associated with the root user ID in use in a
       specific user namespace. It is possible to get and set this value  (in  the  memory  copy)
       with  cap_get_nsowner() and cap_set_nsowner() respectively. The root user ID is ignored by
       the libcap library in all cases other than when the capability is written to a file.  Only
       if  the  value  is  non-zero  will  the  library attempt to include it in the written file
       capability set.

RETURN VALUE

       cap_get_file() and cap_get_fd() return a non-NULL value on success, and NULL on failure.

       cap_set_file() and cap_set_fd() return zero on success, and -1 on failure.

       On failure, errno is set to EACCES, EBADFD, ENAMETOOLONG, ENOENT, ENOMEM, ENOTDIR,  EPERM,
       or EROFS.

CONFORMING TO

       These functions are specified by withdrawn POSIX.1e draft specification.

NOTES

       Support for file capabilities is provided on Linux since version 2.6.24.

       On  Linux,  the  file Effective set is a single bit.  If it is enabled, then all Permitted
       capabilities are enabled in the Effective set of the calling  process  when  the  file  is
       executed;  otherwise, no capabilities are enabled in the process's Effective set following
       an execve(2).  Because the file Effective set is  a  single  bit,  if  any  capability  is
       enabled  in  the  Effective set of the cap_t given to cap_set_file() or cap_set_fd(), then
       all capabilities whose Permitted or  Inheritable  flag  is  enabled  must  also  have  the
       Effective  flag  enabled.  Conversely, if the Effective bit is enabled on a file, then the
       cap_t returned by cap_get_file() and cap_get_fd() will have the Effective flag enabled for
       each capability that has the Permitted or Inheritable flag enabled.

SEE ALSO

       libcap(3),  cap_clear(3), cap_copy_ext(3), cap_from_text(3), cap_get_proc(3), cap_init(3),
       capabilities(7), user_namespaces(7)

                                            2008-05-11                            CAP_GET_FILE(3)