ctermid(3)ctermid(3)NAMEctermid - Generate the pathname for the controlling terminal
SYNOPSIS
#include <stdio.h>
char *ctermid(
char *s );
LIBRARY
Standard C Library (libc)
STANDARDS
Interfaces documented on this reference page conform to industry stan‐
dards as follows:
ctermid(): XPG4, XPG4-UNIX
Refer to the standards(5) reference page for more information about
industry standards and associated tags.
PARAMETERS
Points to the array into which the ctermid() function copies the string
representing the pathname.
DESCRIPTION
The ctermid() function generates a string that, when used as a path‐
name, refers to the current controlling terminal for the current
process. If ctermid() returns a pathname, access to the file is not
guaranteed.
The ctermid() function differs from the ttyname() function in that the
ttyname() function is supplied a file descriptor and returns the actual
name of the terminal associated with that file descriptor, while the
ctermid() function returns a string (/dev/tty) that refers to the ter‐
minal if used as a filename. Thus, the ttyname() function is useful
only if the process already has at least one file open to a terminal.
RETURN VALUES
If the s parameter is not a null pointer, it points to a character
array of at least L_ctermid bytes. The pathname is placed in this
array and the value of the s parameter is returned. The symbolic con‐
stant L_ctermid is defined in the stdio.h header file, and has a value
greater than 0 (zero).
If the s parameter is a null pointer, the string is stored in an inter‐
nal static area and the address is returned. The next call to the cter‐
mid() function overwrites the contents of the internal static area.
If the pathname that would refer to the controlling terminal cannot be
determined, or if the function is unsuccessful, the ctermid() function
returns an empty string.
SEE ALSO
Functions: ttyname(3)
Standards: standards(5)ctermid(3)