explain_utime(3)

💖 explain_utime(3) — the vibe check 💖

okay bestie, pull up a chair 🫶 you're looking at explain_utime(3), straight out of the Library Functions Manual, and it's genuinely one of the most helpful little pages in the whole libexplain universe. it's giving "your syscall failed and nobody told you why" energy, and we're fixing that. no cap. ✨

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🌸 NAME 🌸

explain_utime — explain utime(2) errors

like, literally just that. it explains errors. that's the whole job. and it eats. 💅

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

#include <libexplain/utime.h>
const char *explain_utime(const char *pathname, const struct utimbuf
*times);
const char *explain_errno_utime(int errnum, const char *pathname, const
struct utimbuf *times);
void explain_message_utime(char *message, int message_size, const char
*pathname, const struct utimbuf *times);
void explain_message_errno_utime(char *message, int message_size, int
errnum, const char *pathname, const struct utimbuf *times);

four functions. four icons. we love a full lineup 👑

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

so basically, these functions are your emotional support translators 💜 you use them to obtain explanations for errors returned by the utime(2) system call. syscall goes "nope" and gives you a cryptic little number, and these babies turn that into actual words. iconic behaviour, honestly.

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🎀 explain_utime 🎀

const char *explain_utime(const char *pathname, const struct utimbuf
*times);

the explain_utime function is used to obtain an explanation of an error returned by the utime(2) system call. the least the message will contain is the value of strerror(errno), but usually it will do much better, and indicate the underlying cause in more detail. like, it actually tries. main character energy fr fr. 🌟

the errno global variable will be used to obtain the error value to be decoded.

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

if (utime(pathname, times) < 0)
{
    fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", explain_utime(pathname, times));
    exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
}

pathname

• the original pathname, exactly as passed to the utime(2) system call.

times

• the original times, exactly as passed to the utime(2) system call.

Returns:

• the message explaining the error. this message buffer is shared by all libexplain functions which do not supply a buffer in their argument list. this will be overwritten by the next call to any libexplain function which shares this buffer, including other threads. 😭 so don't be out here holding onto it like it's yours.

Note: this function is not thread safe, because it shares a return buffer across all threads, and many other functions in this library. periodt. 💀

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🌈 explain_errno_utime 🌈

const char *explain_errno_utime(int errnum, const char *pathname, const
struct utimbuf *times);

the explain_errno_utime function is used to obtain an explanation of an error returned by the utime(2) system call. the least the message will contain is the value of strerror(errnum), but usually it will do much better, and indicate the underlying cause in more detail. yes, it's the same deal but now you bring the error number. so empowered. 🫶

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

if (utime(pathname, times) < 0)
{
    int err = errno;
    fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", explain_errno_utime(err, pathname, times));
    exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
}

errnum

• the error value to be decoded, usually obtained from the errno global variable just before this function is called. this is necessary if you need to call any code between the system call to be explained and this function, because many libc functions will alter the value of errno. so like, grab it while it's fresh bestie, it does NOT wait for you. 🙈

pathname

• the original pathname, exactly as passed to the utime(2) system call.

times

• the original times, exactly as passed to the utime(2) system call.

Returns:

• the message explaining the error. this message buffer is shared by all libexplain functions which do not supply a buffer in their argument list. this will be overwritten by the next call to any libexplain function which shares this buffer, including other threads.

Note: this function is not thread safe, because it shares a return buffer across all threads, and many other functions in this library. same warning, same drama. 💅

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🧚 explain_message_utime 🧚

void explain_message_utime(char *message, int message_size, const char
*pathname, const struct utimbuf *times);

the explain_message_utime function may be used to obtain an explanation of an error returned by the utime(2) system call. the least the message will contain is the value of strerror(errno), but usually it will do much better, and indicate the underlying cause in more detail. she's thorough. she's committed. she's you writing into your own buffer. 🌸

the errno global variable will be used to obtain the error value to be decoded.

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

if (utime(pathname, times) < 0)
{
    char message[3000];
    explain_message_utime(message, sizeof(message), pathname, times);
    fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", message);
    exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
}

message

• the location in which to store the returned message. if a suitable message return buffer is supplied, this function is thread safe. ✨ look at her go, so responsible.

message_size

• the size in bytes of the location in which to store the returned message.

pathname

• the original pathname, exactly as passed to the utime(2) system call.

times

• the original times, exactly as passed to the utime(2) system call.

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💫 explain_message_errno_utime 💫

void explain_message_errno_utime(char *message, int message_size, int
errnum, const char *pathname, const struct utimbuf *times);

the explain_message_errno_utime function may be used to obtain an explanation of an error returned by the utime(2) system call. the least the message will contain is the value of strerror(errnum), but usually it will do much better, and indicate the underlying cause in more detail. the final boss form: your buffer and your error number. slay. 🔥

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

if (utime(pathname, times) < 0)
{
    int err = errno;
    char message[3000];
    explain_message_errno_utime(message, sizeof(message), err,
        pathname, times);
    fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", message);
    exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
}

message

• the location in which to store the returned message. if a suitable message return buffer is supplied, this function is thread safe.

message_size

• the size in bytes of the location in which to store the returned message.

errnum

• the error value to be decoded, usually obtained from the errno global variable just before this function is called. this is necessary if you need to call any code between the system call to be explained and this function, because many libc functions will alter the value of errno. 🫶 grab it early, bestie.

pathname

• the original pathname, exactly as passed to the utime(2) system call.

times

• the original times, exactly as passed to the utime(2) system call.

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👑 SEE ALSO 👑

• utime(2) — change file last access and modification times
• explain_utime_or_die(3) — change file last access and modification times and report errors

go read them, they're the extended universe. iykyk 📚

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💜 COPYRIGHT 💜

libexplain version 1.4
Copyright (C) 2008 Peter Miller

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and that's the whole page, bestie — no notes, no skips, every single detail intact. 🎀

okay so this was explain_utime(3), and if you made it all the way to the bottom, you're literally the main character of this manual. bye bye, drink some water, and may your errno always be fresh 💖✨🦋💅