CHDIR(2) Linux Programmer's Manual CHDIR(2)

chdir, fchdir - change working directory

#include <unistd.h>

int chdir(const char *path);
int fchdir(int fd);

chdir() changes the current working directory to that specified in path.

fchdir() is identical to chdir(); the only difference is that the directory is given as an open file descriptor.

On success, zero is returned. On error, -1 is returned, and errno is set appropriately.

Depending on the file system, other errors can be returned. The more general errors for chdir() are listed below:

Search permission is denied for one of the directories in the path prefix of path. (See also path_resolution(2).)
path points outside your accessible address space.
An I/O error occurred.
Too many symbolic links were encountered in resolving path.
path is too long.
The file does not exist.
Insufficient kernel memory was available.
A component of path is not a directory.

The general errors for fchdir() are listed below:

Search permission was denied on the directory open on fd.
fd is not a valid file descriptor.

A child process created via fork(2) inherits its parent's current working directory. The current working directory is left unchanged by execve(2).

The prototype for fchdir() is only available if _BSD_SOURCE is defined.

The chdir() call is compatible with SVr4, SVID, POSIX, X/OPEN, 4.4BSD. SVr4 documents additional EINTR, ENOLINK, and EMULTIHOP error conditions but has no ENOMEM. POSIX.1 does not have ENOMEM or ELOOP error conditions. X/OPEN does not have EFAULT, ENOMEM or EIO error conditions.

The fchdir() call is compatible with SVr4, 4.4BSD and X/OPEN. SVr4 documents additional EIO, EINTR, and ENOLINK error conditions. X/OPEN documents additional EINTR and EIO error conditions.

chroot(2), path_resolution(2), getcwd(3)

2004-06-23 Linux 2.6.7

Different Versions of this Page: