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UMASK(2)                      System Calls Manual                     UMASK(2)

NAME
     umask - set file creation mode mask

LIBRARY
     Standard C Library (libc, -lc)

SYNOPSIS
     #include <sys/stat.h>

     mode_t
     umask(mode_t numask);

DESCRIPTION
     The umask() routine sets the process's file mode creation mask to numask
     and returns the previous value of the mask.  The 9 low-order access
     permission bits of numask are used by system calls, including open(2),
     mkdir(2), mkfifo(2) and mknod(2) to turn off corresponding bits requested
     in file mode.  (See chmod(2)).  This clearing allows each user to
     restrict the default access to his files.

     The default mask value is S_IWGRP|S_IWOTH (022, write access for the
     owner only).  Child processes inherit the mask of the calling process.

RETURN VALUES
     The previous value of the file mode mask is returned by the call.

ERRORS
     The umask() function is always successful.

SEE ALSO
     chmod(2), mkdir(2), mkfifo(2), mknod(2), open(2)

STANDARDS
     The umask() function conforms to IEEE Std 1003.1-1990 ("POSIX.1").

NetBSD 9.99                      June 4, 1993                      NetBSD 9.99