GETCONTEXT(3) Linux Programmer's Manual GETCONTEXT(3)NAME
getcontext, setcontext - get or set the user context
SYNOPSIS
#include <ucontext.h>
int getcontext(ucontext_t *ucp);
int setcontext(const ucontext_t *ucp);
DESCRIPTION
In a System V-like environment, one has the two types mcontext_t and
ucontext_t defined in <ucontext.h> and the four functions getcontext(),
setcontext(), makecontext(3) and swapcontext(3) that allow user-level
context switching between multiple threads of control within a process.
The mcontext_t type is machine-dependent and opaque. The ucontext_t
type is a structure that has at least the following fields:
typedef struct ucontext {
struct ucontext *uc_link;
sigset_t uc_sigmask;
stack_t uc_stack;
mcontext_t uc_mcontext;
...
} ucontext_t;
with sigset_t and stack_t defined in <signal.h>. Here uc_link points
to the context that will be resumed when the current context terminates
(in case the current context was created using makecontext(3)), uc_sig‐
mask is the set of signals blocked in this context (see sigproc‐
mask(2)), uc_stack is the stack used by this context (see sigalt‐
stack(2)), and uc_mcontext is the machine-specific representation of
the saved context, that includes the calling thread's machine regis‐
ters.
The function getcontext() initializes the structure pointed at by ucp
to the currently active context.
The function setcontext() restores the user context pointed at by ucp.
A successful call does not return. The context should have been
obtained by a call of getcontext(), or makecontext(3), or passed as
third argument to a signal handler.
If the context was obtained by a call of getcontext(), program execu‐
tion continues as if this call just returned.
If the context was obtained by a call of makecontext(3), program execu‐
tion continues by a call to the function func specified as the second
argument of that call to makecontext(3). When the function func
returns, we continue with the uc_link member of the structure ucp spec‐
ified as the first argument of that call to makecontext(3). When this
member is NULL, the thread exits.
If the context was obtained by a call to a signal handler, then old
standard text says that "program execution continues with the program
instruction following the instruction interrupted by the signal". How‐
ever, this sentence was removed in SUSv2, and the present verdict is
"the result is unspecified".
RETURN VALUE
When successful, getcontext() returns 0 and setcontext() does not
return. On error, both return -1 and set errno appropriately.
ERRORS
None defined.
CONFORMING TO
SUSv2, POSIX.1-2001. POSIX.1-2008 removes the specification of getcon‐
text(), citing portability issues, and recommending that applications
be rewritten to use POSIX threads instead.
NOTES
The earliest incarnation of this mechanism was the setjmp(3)/longjmp(3)
mechanism. Since that does not define the handling of the signal con‐
text, the next stage was the sigsetjmp(3)/siglongjmp(3) pair. The
present mechanism gives much more control. On the other hand, there is
no easy way to detect whether a return from getcontext() is from the
first call, or via a setcontext() call. The user has to invent her own
bookkeeping device, and a register variable won't do since registers
are restored.
When a signal occurs, the current user context is saved and a new con‐
text is created by the kernel for the signal handler. Do not leave the
handler using longjmp(3): it is undefined what would happen with con‐
texts. Use siglongjmp(3) or setcontext() instead.
SEE ALSOsigaction(2), sigaltstack(2), sigprocmask(2), longjmp(3), makecon‐
text(3), sigsetjmp(3)COLOPHON
This page is part of release 3.53 of the Linux man-pages project. A
description of the project, and information about reporting bugs, can
be found at http://www.kernel.org/doc/man-pages/.
Linux 2009-03-15 GETCONTEXT(3)
