PR_CAP_AMBIENT_CLEAR_ALL(2const)

✨ PR_CAP_AMBIENT_CLEAR_ALL ✨

okay bestie, so this is a page from section 2const of the Linux manual — like, the super specific corner of the man pages where the constants live. We're talking about PR_CAP_AMBIENT_CLEAR_ALL 💅 and it does exactly one thing, but it does it flawlessly.

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🫶 NAME

PR_CAP_AMBIENT_CLEAR_ALL — clear the ambient capability set of the calling thread 🧹✨

like. all of it. gone. poof.

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📚 LIBRARY

Standard C library (libc, -lc) 🎀

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🌸 SYNOPSIS

#include <linux/prctl.h>  /* Definition of PR_* constants */
#include <sys/prctl.h>

int prctl(PR_CAP_AMBIENT, PR_CAP_AMBIENT_CLEAR_ALL, 0L, 0L, 0L);

the way that it's literally just prctl with the right constants and a whole lotta zeros… no cap. 🔥

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💖 DESCRIPTION

All capabilities will be removed from the ambient capability set. 🫧

that's it. that's the whole vibe. every single capability in the ambient set of the calling thread — removed. not one left. the ambient capability set is giving empty. it's giving nothing, and that's the point. 💀

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⭐ RETURN VALUE

• On success, 0 is returned. 🎉 iconic.
• On error, -1 is returned, and errno is set to indicate the error. 😭 and bestie, always check your errno, fr fr.

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🌈 VERSIONS

See PR_CAP_AMBIENT(2const). like, go read the main character page, this one's just her supporting cast. 👑

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👑 STANDARDS

Linux. 🐧 that's the whole list. she's a Linux girlie.

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🦋 HISTORY

Linux 4.3. 🕰️ so she's been around a minute — vintage, but in a cute way.

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👀 SEE ALSO

• prctl(2)
• PR_CAP_AMBIENT(2const)
• libcap(3)

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💌 heads up bestie: this is destructive in the sense that everything in the ambient capability set gets wiped — nothing is preserved, nothing is spared. if you wanted to keep anything, you absolutely did not want this call. 🙈

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and that's the whole page, babe — courtesy of Linux man-pages 6.20, dated 2026-02-08. mwah 💋 slay, stay cap-free 🎀✨