explain_lstat_or_die(3)

💖 explain_lstat_or_die — like, the manual page for explain_lstat_or_die(3) 💖

okay bestie, welcome to the Library Functions Manual section for explain_lstat_or_die(3) 🎀 yes it's a real thing and yes it's lowkey iconic. sit down, hydrate, let's get into it ✨

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🌸 NAME 🌸

explain_lstat_or_die — get file status and report errors 🦋

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

#include <libexplain/lstat.h>
void explain_lstat_or_die(const char *pathname, struct stat *buf);

like. that's the whole vibe. two args, no cap 💅

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👑 DESCRIPTION 👑

so the explain_lstat_or_die function is literally there to call the lstat(2) system call for you 🫶 but here's the thing — when it goes wrong, it doesn't just leave you hanging. on failure it prints an explanation to stderr, and that explanation comes from explain_lstat(3), and then the process just… ends. it terminates by calling exit(EXIT_FAILURE). dramatic? yes. necessary? also yes 😭

this function is meant to be used in a way that's similar to the following example:

explain_lstat_or_die(pathname , buf);

and now the arguments, one by one, because we respect detail in this house 🌈

• pathname — the pathname, exactly as to be passed to the lstat(2) system call. no remixing, no editing, straight through like it's a group chat screenshot 📸
• buf — the buf, exactly as to be passed to the lstat(2) system call. same energy. verbatim. periodt 💅

Returns:

this function only returns on success. on failure, it prints an explanation and exits. so if you're still standing after this call, congrats, it worked 🎉

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🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

• lstat(2) — get file status
• explain_lstat(3) — explain lstat(2) errors
• exit(2) — terminate the calling process

go read those too, they're all part of the same little friend group iykyk 💜

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💜 COPYRIGHT 💜

so this whole thing is libexplain version 1.4 — that's the source, that's the version, that's the lore 📚

and the copyright line is Copyright (C) 2008 Peter Miller. respect the author, always 🙌

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and that's a wrap on this page, bestie — thank you for coming to my ted talk, this was explain_lstat_or_die(3) from the Library Functions Manual, part of libexplain version 1.4, Copyright (C) 2008 Peter Miller 💖✨ mwah, go lstat responsibly 🎀🦋🌸