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explain_system(3)	    Library Functions Manual	       explain_system(3)

NAME
     explain_system - explain system(3) errors

SYNOPSIS
     #include <libexplain/system.h>
     const char *explain_system(const char *command);
     const char *explain_errno_system(int errnum, const char *command);
     void  explain_message_system(char	*message,  int	message_size, const char
     *command);
     void explain_message_errno_system(char *message, int message_size, int  er-
     rnum, const char *command);

DESCRIPTION
     These  functions  may be used to obtain explanations for errors returned by
     the system(3) system call.

   explain_system
     const char *explain_system(const char *command);

     The explain_system function is used to obtain an explanation  of  an  error
     returned  by the system(3) system call.  The least the message will contain
     is the value of strerror(errno), but usually it will do  much  better,  and
     indicate the underlying cause in more detail.

     The  errno global variable will be used to obtain the error value to be de-
     coded.

     This function is intended to be used in a fashion similar to the  following
     example:
	    if (system(command) < 0)
	    {
		fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", explain_system(command));
		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
	    }

     command
	     The  original  command,  exactly  as passed to the system(3) system
	     call.

     Returns:
	     The message explaining the error.	This message buffer is shared by
	     all libexplain functions which do not supply a buffer in their  ar-
	     gument list.  This will be overwritten by the next call to any lib-
	     explain function which shares this buffer, including other threads.

     Note:  This  function is not thread safe, because it shares a return buffer
     across all threads, and many other functions in this library.

   explain_errno_system
     const char *explain_errno_system(int errnum, const char *command);

     The explain_errno_system function is used to obtain an  explanation  of  an
     error  returned  by  the system(3) system call.  The least the message will
     contain is the value of strerror(errnum), but usually it will do much  bet-
     ter, and indicate the underlying cause in more detail.

     This  function is intended to be used in a fashion similar to the following
     example:
	    if (system(command) < 0)
	    {
		int err = errno;
		fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", explain_errno_system(err, command));
		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
	    }

     errnum  The error value to be decoded,  usually  obtained	from  the  errno
	     global  variable just before this function is called.  This is nec-
	     essary if you need to call any code between the system call  to  be
	     explained and this function, because many libc functions will alter
	     the value of errno.

     command
	     The  original  command,  exactly  as passed to the system(3) system
	     call.

     Returns:
	     The message explaining the error.	This message buffer is shared by
	     all libexplain functions which do not supply a buffer in their  ar-
	     gument list.  This will be overwritten by the next call to any lib-
	     explain function which shares this buffer, including other threads.

     Note:  This  function is not thread safe, because it shares a return buffer
     across all threads, and many other functions in this library.

   explain_message_system
     void explain_message_system(char *message,  int  message_size,  const  char
     *command);

     The  explain_message_system  function may be used to  obtain an explanation
     of an error returned by the system(3) system call.  The least  the  message
     will  contain  is the value of strerror(errno), but usually it will do much
     better, and indicate the underlying cause in more detail.

     The errno global variable will be used to obtain the error value to be  de-
     coded.

     This  function is intended to be used in a fashion similar to the following
     example:
	    if (system(command) < 0)
	    {
		char message[3000];
		explain_message_system(message, sizeof(message), command);
		fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", message);
		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
	    }

     message
	     The location in which to store the returned message.  If a suitable
	     message return buffer is supplied, this function is thread safe.

     message_size
	     The size in bytes of the location in which to  store  the	returned
	     message.

     command
	     The  original  command,  exactly  as passed to the system(3) system
	     call.

   explain_message_errno_system
     void explain_message_errno_system(char *message, int message_size, int  er-
     rnum, const char *command);

     The explain_message_errno_system function may be used to obtain an explana-
     tion of an error returned by the system(3) system call.  The least the mes-
     sage  will contain is the value of strerror(errnum), but usually it will do
     much better, and indicate the underlying cause in more detail.

     This function is intended to be used in a fashion similar to the  following
     example:
	    if (system(command) < 0)
	    {
		int err = errno;
		char message[3000];
		explain_message_errno_system(message, sizeof(message), err, command);
		fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", message);
		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
	    }

     message
	     The location in which to store the returned message.  If a suitable
	     message return buffer is supplied, this function is thread safe.

     message_size
	     The  size	in  bytes of the location in which to store the returned
	     message.

     errnum  The error value to be decoded,  usually  obtained	from  the  errno
	     global  variable just before this function is called.  This is nec-
	     essary if you need to call any code between the system call  to  be
	     explained and this function, because many libc functions will alter
	     the value of errno.

     command
	     The  original  command,  exactly  as passed to the system(3) system
	     call.

SEE ALSO
     system(3)
	     execute a shell command

     explain_system_or_die(3)
	     execute a shell command and report errors

COPYRIGHT
     libexplain version 1.3
     Copyright (C) 2008 Peter Miller

							       explain_system(3)

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