Q_GETQUOTA(2const)

💖 Q_GETQUOTA — bestie edition 💖

okay so this is a page from the Linux man-pages, manual section 2const (that's the const-y corner of section 2, the system calls), and it's all about Q_GETQUOTA — the little constant that lets you get disk quota limits and current usage for a user or group. like, how much disk space is this person even allowed to have, and how much are they currently burning through. iconic question, honestly. 👑

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✨ NAME ✨

Q_GETQUOTA — get disk quota limits and current usage for user or group 🌸

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🎀 LIBRARY 🎀

Standard C library (libc, -lc). the classic. the moment. 🫶

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🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

#include <sys/quota.h>

int quotactl(QCMD(Q_GETQUOTA, type), const char *_Nullable special,
             int id, caddr_t addr);

#include <sys/quota.h>    /* Definition of Q_* constants */
#include <sys/syscall.h>  /* Definition of SYS_* constants */
#include <unistd.h>

int syscall(SYS_quotactl_fd, int fd, QCMD(Q_GETQUOTA, type),
            int id, struct dqblk *addr);

not me including the second version too bc yes, there are two ways in and both are valid 💅

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🌈 DESCRIPTION 🌈

Get disk quota limits and current usage for user or group id. that's the whole vibe: you hand it an id, it hands you back the numbers.

The addr argument is a pointer to a dqblk(2type) structure. that's your little container of quota truths 📦

Currently, the kernel fills in all entries of the dqblk(2type) structure and marks them as valid in the .dqb_valid field. so like, everything comes back filled and stamped as legit. no cap.

Unprivileged users may retrieve only their own quotas; a privileged user (CAP_SYS_ADMIN) can retrieve the quotas of any user. so bestie, you can peek at your own numbers, but peeking at everyone else's is a privilege thing. 👀

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💫 RETURN VALUE 💫

See quotactl(2). (yes, this page is passing the mic on that one, respectfully.)

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💀 ERRORS 💀

See quotactl(2). same energy, same handoff.

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⭐ STANDARDS ⭐

Linux.

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🧚 HISTORY 🧚

Linux.

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🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

• quotactl(2)
• quotactl_fd(2)
• Q_GETNEXTQUOTA(2const)
• dqblk(2type)

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ok real talk: this page is a <pink>2const</pink> page, which means it exists to document the <purple>Q_GETQUOTA</purple> constant and how it plugs into <purple>quotactl</purple>() — it lowkey outsources the return values and errors to quotactl(2) on purpose. so if you need the actual error codes, that's where the tea is. 🍓

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sign-off time, bestie 💖 this gorgeous little page is part of Linux man-pages 6.20, dated 2026-06-05, and it left the group chat exactly like that. go get those quotas. 👑✨