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NAME

       msgget - get a System V message queue identifier

LIBRARY

       Standard C library (libc, -lc)

SYNOPSIS

       #include <sys/msg.h>

       int msgget(key_t key, int msgflg);

DESCRIPTION

       The msgget() system call returns the System V message queue identifier associated with the
       value of the key argument.  It may be used either to obtain the identifier of a previously
       created  message  queue (when msgflg is zero and key does not have the value IPC_PRIVATE),
       or to create a new set.

       A new message queue is created if key has the value IPC_PRIVATE or key isn't  IPC_PRIVATE,
       no message queue with the given key key exists, and IPC_CREAT is specified in msgflg.

       If  msgflg  specifies  both  IPC_CREAT and IPC_EXCL and a message queue already exists for
       key, then msgget() fails with errno set to EEXIST.  (This is analogous to  the  effect  of
       the combination O_CREAT | O_EXCL for open(2).)

       Upon creation, the least significant bits of the argument msgflg define the permissions of
       the message queue.  These permission bits have  the  same  format  and  semantics  as  the
       permissions  specified for the mode argument of open(2).  (The execute permissions are not
       used.)

       If a new message queue is created,  then  its  associated  data  structure  msqid_ds  (see
       msgctl(2)) is initialized as follows:

       •  msg_perm.cuid and msg_perm.uid are set to the effective user ID of the calling process.

       •  msg_perm.cgid  and  msg_perm.gid  are  set  to  the  effective  group ID of the calling
          process.

       •  The least significant 9 bits of msg_perm.mode are set to the least significant  9  bits
          of msgflg.

       •  msg_qnum, msg_lspid, msg_lrpid, msg_stime, and msg_rtime are set to 0.

       •  msg_ctime is set to the current time.

       •  msg_qbytes is set to the system limit MSGMNB.

       If  the  message queue already exists the permissions are verified, and a check is made to
       see if it is marked for destruction.

RETURN VALUE

       On success, msgget() returns the message queue identifier  (a  nonnegative  integer).   On
       failure, -1 is returned, and errno is set to indicate the error.

ERRORS

       EACCES A message queue exists for key, but the calling process does not have permission to
              access the queue, and does not  have  the  CAP_IPC_OWNER  capability  in  the  user
              namespace that governs its IPC namespace.

       EEXIST IPC_CREAT and IPC_EXCL were specified in msgflg, but a message queue already exists
              for key.

       ENOENT No message queue exists for key and msgflg did not specify IPC_CREAT.

       ENOMEM A message queue has to be created but the system does not have  enough  memory  for
              the new data structure.

       ENOSPC A  message  queue  has to be created but the system limit for the maximum number of
              message queues (MSGMNI) would be exceeded.

STANDARDS

       POSIX.1-2008.

HISTORY

       POSIX.1-2001, SVr4.

   Linux
       Until Linux 2.3.20, Linux would return EIDRM for a msgget() on a message  queue  scheduled
       for deletion.

NOTES

       IPC_PRIVATE  isn't  a flag field but a key_t type.  If this special value is used for key,
       the system call ignores everything but the least significant 9 bits of msgflg and  creates
       a new message queue (on success).

       The following is a system limit on message queue resources affecting a msgget() call:

       MSGMNI System-wide  limit on the number of message queues.  Before Linux 3.19, the default
              value for this limit was calculated using  a  formula  based  on  available  system
              memory.   Since  Linux 3.19, the default value is 32,000.  On Linux, this limit can
              be read and modified via /proc/sys/kernel/msgmni.

BUGS

       The name choice IPC_PRIVATE was perhaps unfortunate, IPC_NEW would more clearly  show  its
       function.

SEE ALSO

       msgctl(2), msgrcv(2), msgsnd(2), ftok(3), capabilities(7), mq_overview(7), sysvipc(7)