explain_setuid_or_die(3)

💖 explain_setuid_or_die — bestie's guide to the <libexplain/setuid.h> era 💖

okay so real talk, this one lives in the Library Functions Manual and it's called explain_setuid_or_die(3), and yes the name is dramatic on purpose. sit with me, we're gonna get you fluent. 🫶

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✨ NAME ✨

explain_setuid_or_die</p> — set user identity, and if it goes sideways, report the errors. that's it, that's the whole vibe. 💅

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

#include <libexplain/setuid.h>
void explain_setuid_or_die(int uid);
int explain_setuid_on_error(int uid);

two functions, one header, zero mystery. iconic honestly. 🎀

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

okay so explain_setuid_or_die is the friend that calls the setuid(2) system call for you. and if it fails?? an explanation gets printed to stderr, and that explanation comes from the explain_setuid(3) function, and then — this is the dramatic part — the process terminates by calling exit(EXIT_FAILURE). like, it's not coming back. it said what it said. 💀

meanwhile explain_setuid_on_error is the chill one. it also calls the setuid(2) system call, and on failure it also prints an explanation to stderr (again, from explain_setuid(3)) — but then it still returns to the caller. so you get the lore AND you get to keep living your life. main character energy fr fr. ✨

• uid — the uid, exactly as to be passed to the setuid(2) system call. like, no remixing, no vibes-based edits, just the uid straight up. 👑

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💫 RETURN VALUE 💫

explain_setuid_or_die only returns on success — see setuid(2) for more info on that. on failure it prints an explanation and exits, so it does not return. periodt. 🚫

explain_setuid_on_error always returns the value return by the wrapped setuid(2) system call. (yes, "return" — that's what the original says, and we do not touch the facts around here, only the attitude. 😌)

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🔥 EXAMPLE 🔥

the explain_setuid_or_die function is intended to be used in a fashion similar to the following example:

explain_setuid_or_die(uid);

that's the whole thing bestie. one line. ate. 💅✨

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👑 SEE ALSO 👑

• setuid(2) — set user identity
• explain_setuid(3) — explain setuid(2) errors
• exit(2) — terminate the calling process

go read those, iykyk. 🌈

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💜 COPYRIGHT 💜

libexplain version 1.4 Copyright (C) 2012 Peter Miller

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and that's the tea, bestie 🍓 — explain_setuid_or_die(3), dropping out of the manual with libexplain version 1.4 energy, brought to you by Copyright (C) 2012 Peter Miller. love that for us. now go call it responsibly, mwah 🎀💖🧚