procexec/fork_file_sharing.c

This is procexec/fork_file_sharing.c (Listing 24-2, page 518), an example from the book, The Linux Programming Interface.

The source code file is copyright 2024, Michael Kerrisk, and is licensed under the GNU General Public License, version 3.

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/* fork_file_sharing.c

   Show that the file descriptors of a forked child refer to the
   same open file objects as the parent.
*/
#include <sys/stat.h>
#include <fcntl.h>
#include <sys/wait.h>
#include "tlpi_hdr.h"
int
main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
    int fd, flags;
    char template[] = "/tmp/testXXXXXX";

    setbuf(stdout, NULL);                   /* Disable buffering of stdout */

    /* Open a temporary file, set its file offset to some arbitrary value,
       and change the setting of one of the open file status flags. */

    fd = mkstemp(template);
    if (fd == -1)
        errExit("mkstemp");

    printf("File offset before fork(): %lld\n",
            (long long) lseek(fd, 0, SEEK_CUR));

    flags = fcntl(fd, F_GETFL);
    if (flags == -1)
        errExit("fcntl - F_GETFL");
    printf("O_APPEND flag before fork() is: %s\n",
            (flags & O_APPEND) ? "on" : "off");

    switch (fork()) {
    case -1:
        errExit("fork");

    case 0:     /* Child: change file offset and status flags */
        if (lseek(fd, 1000, SEEK_SET) == -1)
            errExit("lseek");

        flags = fcntl(fd, F_GETFL);         /* Fetch current flags */
        if (flags == -1)
            errExit("fcntl - F_GETFL");
        flags |= O_APPEND;                  /* Turn O_APPEND on */
        if (fcntl(fd, F_SETFL, flags) == -1)
            errExit("fcntl - F_SETFL");
        _exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);

    default:    /* Parent: can see file changes made by child */
        if (wait(NULL) == -1)
            errExit("wait");                /* Wait for child exit */
        printf("Child has exited\n");

        printf("File offset in parent: %lld\n",
                (long long) lseek(fd, 0, SEEK_CUR));

        flags = fcntl(fd, F_GETFL);
        if (flags == -1)
            errExit("fcntl - F_GETFL");
        printf("O_APPEND flag in parent is: %s\n",
                (flags & O_APPEND) ? "on" : "off");
        exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);
    }
}

 

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