sysdecode_sigcode(3)

💅 sysdecode_sigcode — lookup name of signal code

Okay bestie, so this one lives in the library libsysdecode and it's basically the friend who knows everyone's name at the party. You give it a signal code, it tells you which C macro that code actually is. Iconic behavior, honestly.

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

#include <sysdecode.h>

const char *
sysdecode_sigcode(int signal, int si_code);

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

So the sysdecode_sigcode() function returns a text description of the si_code field of the siginfo_t object associated with an instance of signal sig. Like, you hand it the messy number, it hands you back the glow-up version with a name.

The text description contains the name of the C macro whose value matches si_code. That's the whole vibe — macro name, matching value, done.

And it's not picky either! General purpose signal codes such as SI_USER are handled as well as signal-specific codes for SIGBUS, SIGCHLD, SIGFPE, SIGILL, SIGSEGV and SIGTRAP. Six whole signal-specific families, all covered 💅

But lowkey, if si_code does not represent a known signal code, sysdecode_sigcode() returns NULL. No cap — unknown code, no name, that's the deal. Don't come for her, she's just being honest 🙈

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🎀 RETURN VALUES 🎀

• The sysdecode_sigcode() function returns a pointer to a signal code description, or NULL if si_code is not a known signal code.

So yeah — pointer on success, NULL when it's giving "who is that". Periodt.

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🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

• sysdecode_sigbus_code(3)
• sysdecode_sigchld_code(3)
• sysdecode_sigfpe_code(3)
• sysdecode_sigill_code(3)
• sysdecode_sigsegv_code(3)
• sysdecode_sigtrap_code(3)

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✨ Friendly reminder: this page is from the Debian crew and it's dated October 17, 2016 — oldie but a goodie, fr fr 🫶

Stay curious, read your man pages, and remember: the si_code field is not mysterious, it's just waiting for someone to ask 🧚💜