libssh2_channel_setenv_ex(3)

💖 libssh2_channel_setenv_ex — setting env vars on a channel, bestie edition

okay so this is a page from libssh2, section 3 of the manual, and it's literally about poking an environment variable into a remote channel's lil process space. no cap, it's a whole vibe. let's get into it 🫶

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✨ NAME ✨

libssh2_channel_setenv_ex — set an environment variable on the channel

(yes there's a non-_ex twin too, libssh2_channel_setenv, and she's right here in the synopsis. sisters. 👑)

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

#include <libssh2.h>

int
libssh2_channel_setenv_ex(LIBSSH2_CHANNEL *channel,
                          char *varname, unsigned int varname_len,
                          const char *value, unsigned int value_len);

int
libssh2_channel_setenv(LIBSSH2_CHANNEL *channel,
                       char *varname, const char *value);

two functions, one mission. the _ex one makes you hand over the lengths yourself, the plain one figures it out for you. main character energy either way 💅

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

okay so here's what each parameter is giving:

• channel — a channel instance that was previously opened, like the one libssh2_channel_open_ex(3) hands you. she's already alive, you're just decorating her.
• varname — the name of the environment variable you wanna set on the remote channel instance. literally just the name.
• varname_len — the length of the varname parameter you passed in. count it, bestie.
• value — the value you're setting varname to. the actual content.
• value_len — the length of the value parameter. again: count it.

and what does it do? it sets an environment variable in the remote channel's process space. that's the whole thing. slay ✨

⚠️ okay but real talk — this does not make sense for all channel types, and the server may straight up ignore it despite returning success. so like… she said yes but she might not have meant it. don't come for me if it didn't take. 😭

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🎀 RETURN VALUE 🎀

• returns 0 on success 🎉
• returns negative on failure 💀
• returns LIBSSH2_ERROR_EAGAIN when it would otherwise block

and okay, hot take: even though LIBSSH2_ERROR_EAGAIN is a negative number, it is not really a failure per se. it's giving "try again later" not "everything is ruined". don't panic. 🌈

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💜 ERRORS 💜

the lil roster of things that can go wrong:

• LIBSSH2_ERROR_ALLOC — an internal memory allocation call failed. the malloc said no. 🙈
• LIBSSH2_ERROR_SOCKET_SEND — unable to send data on socket. the send just would not send. 💀
• LIBSSH2_ERROR_CHANNEL_REQUEST_DENIED — (that's it, that's the whole description, the manpage left it blank and honestly? relatable.) 🍓

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🌟 SEE ALSO 🌟

• libssh2_channel_open_ex(3) — the icon that gets you the channel in the first place. go read her. 🧚

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and that's the whole page, periodt. every flag, every error, every length param — all accounted for, nothing skipped, nothing invented. iykyk. 🦋

this page came from libssh2 0.15, dated 1 Jun 2007 — yeah she's an elder but she still eats. mwah. 💅✨