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STRMODE(3)                 Library Functions Manual                 STRMODE(3)

NAME
     strmode - convert inode status information into a symbolic string

LIBRARY
     Standard C Library (libc, -lc)

SYNOPSIS
     #include <unistd.h>

     void
     strmode(mode_t mode, char *bp);

DESCRIPTION
     The strmode() function converts a file mode (the type and permission
     information associated with an inode, see stat(2)) into a symbolic string
     which is stored in the location referenced by bp.  This stored string is
     eleven characters in length plus a trailing nul byte.

     The first character is the inode type, and will be one of the following:

           -     regular file
           a     regular file in archive state 1
           A     regular file in archive state 2
           b     block special
           c     character special
           d     directory
           l     symbolic link
           p     fifo
           s     socket
           w     whiteout
           ?     unknown inode type

     The next nine characters encode three sets of permissions, in three
     characters each.  The first three characters are the permissions for the
     owner of the file, the second three for the group the file belongs to,
     and the third for the ``other'', or default, set of users.

     Permission checking is done as specifically as possible.  If read
     permission is denied to the owner of a file in the first set of
     permissions, the owner of the file will not be able to read the file.
     This is true even if the owner is in the file's group and the group
     permissions allow reading or the ``other'' permissions allow reading.

     If the first character of the three character set is an ``r'', the file
     is readable for that set of users; if a dash ``-'', it is not readable.

     If the second character of the three character set is a ``w'', the file
     is writable for that set of users; if a dash ``-'', it is not writable.

     The third character is the first of the following characters that apply:

     S     If the character is part of the owner permissions and the file is
           not executable or the directory is not searchable by the owner, and
           the set-user-id bit is set.

     S     If the character is part of the group permissions and the file is
           not executable or the directory is not searchable by the group, and
           the set-group-id bit is set.

     T     If the character is part of the other permissions and the file is
           not executable or the directory is not searchable by others, and
           the ``sticky'' (S_ISVTX) bit is set.

     s     If the character is part of the owner permissions and the file is
           executable or the directory searchable by the owner, and the set-
           user-id bit is set.

     s     If the character is part of the group permissions and the file is
           executable or the directory searchable by the group, and the set-
           group-id bit is set.

     t     If the character is part of the other permissions and the file is
           executable or the directory searchable by others, and the
           ``sticky'' (S_ISVTX) bit is set.

     x     The file is executable or the directory is searchable.

     -     None of the above apply.

     The last character is a plus sign ``+'' if there are any alternative or
     additional access control methods associated with the inode, otherwise it
     will be a space.

     Archive state 1 and archive state 2 represent file system dependent
     archive state for a file.  Most file systems do not retain file archive
     state, and so will not report files in either archive state.  msdosfs
     will report a file in archive state 1 if it has been archived more
     recently than modified.  Hierarchical storage systems may have multiple
     archive states for a file and may define archive states 1 and 2 as
     appropriate.

SEE ALSO
     chmod(1), find(1), stat(2), getmode(3), setmode(3)

HISTORY
     The strmode() function first appeared in 4.4BSD.

NetBSD 10.99                     July 28, 1994                    NetBSD 10.99