Optional parts of the posix standard
The POSIX standard (the information below is from POSIX.1-2001) describes a set of behaviors and interfaces for a compliant system. However, many interfaces are optional and there are feature test macros to test the availability of interfaces at compile time, and functions sysconf(3), fpathconf(3), pathconf(3), confstr(3) to do this at run time. From shell scripts one can use getconf(1). For more detail, see sysconf(3).
We give the name of the POSIX abbreviation, the option, the name of the sysconf(3) parameter used to inquire about the option, and possibly a very short description. Much more precise detail can be found in the POSIX standard itself, versions of which can nowadays be accessed freely on the web.
The following advisory functions are present:
posix_fadvise(), posix_fallocate(), posix_memalign(), posix_madvise().
The header <aio.h> is present. The following functions are present:
aio_cancel(), aio_error(), aio_fsync(), aio_read(), aio_return(), aio_suspend(), aio_write(), lio_listio().
This option implies the _POSIX_THREADS and _POSIX_THREAD_SAFE_FUNCTIONS options. The following functions are present:
pthread_barrier_destroy(), pthread_barrier_init(), pthread_barrier_wait(), pthread_barrierattr_destroy(), pthread_barrierattr_init().
If this option is in effect (as it always is under POSIX.1-2001), then only root may change the owner of a file, and nonroot can set the group of a file only to one of the groups it belongs to. This affects the functions chown(), fchown().
This option implies the _POSIX_TIMERS option. The following functions are present:
pthread_condattr_getclock(), pthread_condattr_setclock(), clock_nanosleep().
If CLOCK_REALTIME is changed by the function clock_settime(), then this affects all timers set for an absolute time.
The clockID CLOCK_PROCESS_CPUTIME_ID is supported. The initial value of this clock is 0 for each process. This option implies the _POSIX_TIMERS option. The function clock_getcpuclockid() is present.
This option has been deleted. Not in final XPG6.
The function fsync() is present.
Internet Protocol Version 6 is supported.
If this option is in effect (as it always is under POSIX.1-2001), then the system implements POSIX-style job control, and the following functions are present:
setpgid(), tcdrain(), tcflush(), tcgetpgrp(), tcsendbreak(), tcsetattr(), tcsetpgrp().
Shared memory is supported. The include file <sys/mman.h> is present. The following functions are present: mmap(), msync(), munmap().
Shared memory can be locked into core. The functions mlockall(), munlockall() are present.
More precisely, ranges can be locked into core. The functions mlock(), munlock() are present.
The function mprotect() is present.
The include file <mqueue.h> is present. The following functions are present:
mq_close(), mq_getattr(), mq_notify(), mq_open(), mq_receive(), mq_send(), mq_setattr(), mq_unlink().
CLOCK_MONOTONIC is supported. This option implies the _POSIX_TIMERS option. Affected functions are
aio_suspend(), clock_getres(), clock_gettime(), clock_settime(), timer_create().
This option has been deleted. Not in final XPG6.
If this option is in effect (as it always is under POSIX.1-2001) then pathname components longer than NAME_MAX are not truncated, but give an error. This property may be dependent on the path prefix of the component.
This option says that one can specify priorities for asynchronous I/O. This affects the functions
aio_read(), aio_write().
The include file <sched.h> is present. The following functions are present:
sched_get_priority_max(), sched_get_priority_min(), sched_getparam(), sched_getscheduler(), sched_rr_get_interval(), sched_setparam(), sched_setscheduler(), sched_yield().
If also _POSIX_SPAWN is in effect, then the following functions are present:
posix_spawnattr_getschedparam(), posix_spawnattr_getschedpolicy(), posix_spawnattr_setschedparam(), posix_spawnattr_setschedpolicy().
Raw sockets are supported. Affected functions are getsockopt(), setsockopt().
This option implies the _POSIX_THREADS option. Conversely, under POSIX.1-2001 the _POSIX_THREADS option implies this option.
The following functions are present: pthread_rwlock_destroy(), pthread_rwlock_init(), pthread_rwlock_rdlock(), pthread_rwlock_tryrdlock(), pthread_rwlock_trywrlock(), pthread_rwlock_unlock(), pthread_rwlock_wrlock(), pthread_rwlockattr_destroy(), pthread_rwlockattr_init().
Realtime signals are supported. The following functions are present:
sigqueue(), sigtimedwait(), sigwaitinfo().
If this option is in effect (as it always is under POSIX.1-2001) then POSIX regular expressions are supported and the following functions are present:
regcomp(), regerror(), regexec(), regfree().
If this option is in effect (as it always is under POSIX.1-2001), then a process has a saved set-user-ID and a saved set-group-ID. Affected functions are
exec(), kill(), seteuid(), setegid(), setgid(), setuid().
The include file <semaphore.h> is present. The following functions are present:
sem_close(), sem_destroy(), sem_getvalue(), sem_init(), sem_open(), sem_post(), sem_trywait(), sem_unlink(), sem_wait().
The following functions are present:
mmap(), munmap(), shm_open(), shm_unlink().
If this option is in effect (as it always is under POSIX.1-2001), the function system() is present.
This option describes support for process creation in a context where it is difficult or impossible to use fork(), for example, because no MMU is present. If _POSIX_SPAWN is in effect, then the include file <spawn.h> and the following functions are present:
posix_spawn(), posix_spawn_file_actions_addclose(), posix_spawn_file_actions_adddup2(), posix_spawn_file_actions_addopen(), posix_spawn_file_actions_destroy(), posix_spawn_file_actions_init(), posix_spawnattr_destroy(), posix_spawnattr_getsigdefault(), posix_spawnattr_getflags(), posix_spawnattr_getpgroup(), posix_spawnattr_getsigmask(), posix_spawnattr_init(), posix_spawnattr_setsigdefault(), posix_spawnattr_setflags(), posix_spawnattr_setpgroup(), posix_spawnattr_setsigmask(), posix_spawnp().
If also _POSIX_PRIORITY_SCHEDULING is in effect, then the following functions are present:
posix_spawnattr_getschedparam(), posix_spawnattr_getschedpolicy(), posix_spawnattr_setschedparam(), posix_spawnattr_setschedpolicy().
This option implies the _POSIX_THREADS and _POSIX_THREAD_SAFE_FUNCTIONS options. The following functions are present:
pthread_spin_destroy(), pthread_spin_init(), pthread_spin_lock(), pthread_spin_trylock(), pthread_spin_unlock().
The scheduling policy SCHED_SPORADIC is supported. This option implies the _POSIX_PRIORITY_SCHEDULING option. Affected functions are
sched_setparam(), sched_setscheduler().
Affected functions are open(), msync(), fsync(), fdatasync().
Affected functions are
pthread_attr_getstack(), pthread_attr_getstackaddr(), pthread_attr_setstack(), pthread_attr_setstackaddr().
Affected functions are
pthread_attr_getstack(), pthread_attr_getstacksize(), pthread_attr_setstack(), pthread_attr_setstacksize().
The clockID CLOCK_THREAD_CPUTIME_ID is supported. This option implies the _POSIX_TIMERS option. Affected functions are
pthread_getcpuclockid(), clock_getres(), clock_gettime(), clock_settime(), timer_create().
Affected functions are
pthread_mutexattr_getprotocol(), pthread_mutexattr_setprotocol().
Affected functions are
pthread_mutex_getprioceiling(), pthread_mutex_setprioceiling(), pthread_mutexattr_getprioceiling(), pthread_mutexattr_getprotocol(), pthread_mutexattr_setprioceiling(), pthread_mutexattr_setprotocol().
If this option is in effect, the different threads inside a process can run with different priorities and/or different schedulers. Affected functions are
pthread_attr_getinheritsched(), pthread_attr_getschedpolicy(), pthread_attr_getscope(), pthread_attr_setinheritsched(), pthread_attr_setschedpolicy(), pthread_attr_setscope(), pthread_getschedparam(), pthread_setschedparam(), pthread_setschedprio().
Affected functions are
pthread_barrierattr_getpshared(), pthread_barrierattr_setpshared(), pthread_condattr_getpshared(), pthread_condattr_setpshared(), pthread_mutexattr_getpshared(), pthread_mutexattr_setpshared(), pthread_rwlockattr_getpshared(), pthread_rwlockattr_setpshared().
Affected functions are
readdir_r(), getgrgid_r(), getgrnam_r(), getpwnam_r(), getpwuid_r(), flockfile(), ftrylockfile(), funlockfile(), getc_unlocked(), getchar_unlocked(), putc_unlocked(), putchar_unlocked(), rand_r(), strerror_r(), strtok_r(), asctime_r(), ctime_r(), gmtime_r(), localtime_r().
This option implies the _POSIX_THREAD_PRIORITY_SCHEDULING option. Affected functions are
sched_getparam(), sched_setparam(), sched_setscheduler().
Basic support for POSIX threads is available. The following functions are present:
pthread_atfork(), pthread_attr_destroy(), pthread_attr_getdetachstate(), pthread_attr_getschedparam(), pthread_attr_init(), pthread_attr_setdetachstate(), pthread_attr_setschedparam(), pthread_cancel(), pthread_cleanup_push(), pthread_cleanup_pop(), pthread_cond_broadcast(), pthread_cond_destroy(), pthread_cond_init(), pthread_cond_signal(), pthread_cond_timedwait(), pthread_cond_wait(), pthread_condattr_destroy(), pthread_condattr_init(), pthread_create(), pthread_detach(), pthread_equal(), pthread_exit(), pthread_getspecific(), pthread_join(), pthread_key_create(), pthread_key_delete(), pthread_mutex_destroy(), pthread_mutex_init(), pthread_mutex_lock(), pthread_mutex_trylock(), pthread_mutex_unlock(), pthread_mutexattr_destroy(), pthread_mutexattr_init(), pthread_once(), pthread_rwlock_destroy(), pthread_rwlock_init(), pthread_rwlock_rdlock(), pthread_rwlock_tryrdlock(), pthread_rwlock_trywrlock(), pthread_rwlock_unlock(), pthread_rwlock_wrlock(), pthread_rwlockattr_destroy(), pthread_rwlockattr_init(), pthread_self(), pthread_setcancelstate(), pthread_setcanceltype(), pthread_setspecific(), pthread_testcancel().
The following functions are present:
mq_timedreceive(), mq_timedsend(), pthread_mutex_timedlock(), pthread_rwlock_timedrdlock(), pthread_rwlock_timedwrlock(), sem_timedwait(), posix_trace_timedgetnext_event().
The following functions are present:
clock_getres(), clock_gettime(), clock_settime(), nanosleep(), timer_create(), timer_delete(), timer_gettime(), timer_getoverrun(), timer_settime().
POSIX tracing is available. The following functions are present:
posix_trace_attr_destroy(), posix_trace_attr_getclockres(), posix_trace_attr_getcreatetime(), posix_trace_attr_getgenversion(), posix_trace_attr_getmaxdatasize(), posix_trace_attr_getmaxsystemeventsize(), posix_trace_attr_getmaxusereventsize(), posix_trace_attr_getname(), posix_trace_attr_getstreamfullpolicy(), posix_trace_attr_getstreamsize(), posix_trace_attr_init(), posix_trace_attr_setmaxdatasize(), posix_trace_attr_setname(), posix_trace_attr_setstreamsize(), posix_trace_attr_setstreamfullpolicy(), posix_trace_clear(), posix_trace_create(), posix_trace_event(), posix_trace_eventid_equal(), posix_trace_eventid_get_name(), posix_trace_eventid_open(), posix_trace_eventtypelist_getnext_id(), posix_trace_eventtypelist_rewind(), posix_trace_flush(), posix_trace_get_attr(), posix_trace_get_status(), posix_trace_getnext_event(), posix_trace_shutdown(), posix_trace_start(), posix_trace_stop(), posix_trace_trygetnext_event().
This option implies the _POSIX_TRACE option. The following functions are present:
posix_trace_eventset_add(), posix_trace_eventset_del(), posix_trace_eventset_empty(), posix_trace_eventset_fill(), posix_trace_eventset_ismember(), posix_trace_get_filter(), posix_trace_set_filter(), posix_trace_trid_eventid_open().
Tracing children of the traced process is supported. This option implies the _POSIX_TRACE option. The following functions are present:
posix_trace_attr_getinherited(), posix_trace_attr_setinherited().
This option implies the _POSIX_TRACE option. The following functions are present:
posix_trace_attr_getlogfullpolicy(), posix_trace_attr_getlogsize(), posix_trace_attr_setlogfullpolicy(), posix_trace_attr_setlogsize(), posix_trace_close(), posix_trace_create_withlog(), posix_trace_open(), posix_trace_rewind().
The following functions are present:
posix_mem_offset(), posix_typed_mem_get_info(), posix_typed_mem_open().
Always present (probably 0). Value to set a changeable special control character to indicate that it is disabled.
_XOPEN_CRYPT, _XOPEN_LEGACY, _XOPEN_REALTIME, _XOPEN_REALTIME_THREADS, _XOPEN_UNIX.
This page is part of release 3.74 of the Linux man-pages project. A description of the project, information about reporting bugs, and the latest version of this page, can be found at http://www.kernel.org/doc/man-pages/.