POSIX_OPENPT(3P)

PROLOG
This manual page is part of the POSIX Programmer's Manual. The Linux implementation of this interface may differ (consult the corresponding Linux manual page for details of Linux behavior), or the interface may not be implemented on Linux.

NAME
posix_openpt — open a pseudo-terminal device

SYNOPSIS

#include <stdlib.h>
#include <fcntl.h>

int posix_openpt(int oflag);

DESCRIPTION
The posix_openpt() function shall establish a connection between a master device for a pseudo-terminal and a file descriptor. The file descriptor shall be allocated as described in Section 2.14, File Descriptor Allocation and can be used by other I/O functions that refer to that pseudo-terminal.

The file status flags and file access modes of the open file description shall be set according to the value of oflag.

Values for oflag are constructed by a bitwise-inclusive OR of flags from the following list, defined in <fcntl.h>:

O_RDWR
    Open for reading and writing.

O_NOCTTY
    If set posix_openpt() shall not cause the terminal device to become the controlling terminal for the process.

The behavior of other values for the oflag argument is unspecified.

RETURN VALUE
Upon successful completion, the posix_openpt() function shall open a file descriptor for a master pseudo-terminal device and return a non-negative integer representing the file descriptor. Otherwise, -1 shall be returned and errno set to indicate the error.

ERRORS
The posix_openpt() function shall fail if:

EMFILE
    All file descriptors available to the process are currently open.

ENFILE
    The maximum allowable number of files is currently open in the system.

The posix_openpt() function may fail if:

EINVAL
    The value of oflag is not valid.

EAGAIN
    Out of pseudo-terminal resources.

ENOSR
    Out of STREAMS resources.

The following sections are informative.

EXAMPLES

  Opening a Pseudo-Terminal and Returning the Name of the Slave Device and a File Descriptor

    #include <fcntl.h>
    #include <stdio.h>

    int masterfd, slavefd;
    char *slavedevice;

    masterfd = posix_openpt(O_RDWR|O_NOCTTY);

    if (masterfd == -1
        || grantpt (masterfd) == -1
        || unlockpt (masterfd) == -1
        || (slavedevice = ptsname (masterfd)) == NULL)
        return -1;

    printf("slave device is: %s\n", slavedevice);

    slavefd = open(slavedevice, O_RDWR|O_NOCTTY);
    if (slavefd < 0)
        return -1;

APPLICATION USAGE
This function is a method for portably obtaining a file descriptor of a master terminal device for a pseudo-terminal. The grantpt() and ptsname() functions can be used to manipulate mode and ownership permissions, and to obtain the name of the slave device, respectively.

RATIONALE
The standard developers considered the matter of adding a special device for cloning master pseudo-terminals: the /dev/ptmx device. However, consensus could not be reached, and it was felt that adding a new function would permit other implementations. The posix_openpt() function is designed to complement the grantpt(), ptsname(), and unlockpt() functions.

On implementations supporting the /dev/ptmx clone device, opening the master device of a pseudo-terminal is simply:

    mfdp = open("/dev/ptmx", oflag );
    if (mfdp < 0)
        return -1;

FUTURE DIRECTIONS
None.

SEE ALSO
Section 2.14, File Descriptor Allocation, grantpt(), open(), ptsname(), unlockpt()

The Base Definitions volume of POSIX.1-2017, <fcntl.h>, <stdlib.h>

COPYRIGHT
Portions of this text are reprinted and reproduced in electronic form from IEEE Std 1003.1-2017, Standard for Information Technology -- Portable Operating System Interface (POSIX), The Open Group Base Specifications Issue 7, 2018 Edition, Copyright (C) 2018 by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc and The Open Group. In the event of any discrepancy between this version and the original IEEE and The Open Group Standard, the original IEEE and The Open Group Standard is the referee document. The original Standard can be obtained online at http://www.opengroup.org/unix/online.html .

Any typographical or formatting errors that appear in this page are most likely to have been introduced during the conversion of the source files to man page format. To report such errors, see https://www.kernel.org/doc/man-pages/reporting_bugs.html .