SEM_DESTROY(3P)

📦 version 2017a, in alpine 3.22, alpine 3.23, alpine 3.24, arch rolling, nixpkgs unstable, opensuse-leap 16.0

🦋 SEM_DESTROY(3P) 🦋

okay bestie, welcome to the POSIX Programmer's Manual page for sem_destroy — yes, the whole manual, not just the Linux corner of it 💅

🌸 PROLOG 🌸

ok so before we even get into it: this manual page is part of the POSIX Programmer's Manual. The Linux implementation of this interface may differ (so like, go consult the corresponding Linux manual page for the deets on Linux behavior), or honestly the interface may not be implemented on Linux at all. No cap. 🙈

✨ NAME ✨

sem_destroy — destroy an unnamed semaphore 💀🫶

🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

#include <semaphore.h>

int sem_destroy(sem_t *sem);

💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

The sem_destroy() function shall destroy the unnamed semaphore indicated by sem. That's it, that's the job. Main character energy: it shows up, it destroys, it leaves. 👑

But listen — only a semaphore that was created using sem_init() may be destroyed using sem_destroy(). If you try to call sem_destroy() on a named semaphore? The effect is undefined. Not "it errors out nicely", not "it shrugs and moves on" — undefined. We do not do that. 🚫

And the effect of subsequent use of the semaphore sem is also undefined until sem is reinitialized by another call to sem_init(). So like, once it's destroyed it's destroyed, bestie. It's giving ex. It's giving blocked. 💀

Now here's the part that's actually fine and good: it is safe to destroy an initialized semaphore upon which no threads are currently blocked. Slay. ✨

But the effect of destroying a semaphore upon which other threads are currently blocked is undefined. So vibe check your threads first, fr fr. 😭

⭐ RETURN VALUE ⭐

Upon successful completion, a value of 0 shall be returned. Iconic. 💚

Otherwise, a value of -1 shall be returned and errno set to indicate the error. Not iconic. 🚩

🔥 ERRORS 🔥

The sem_destroy() function may fail if:

  • EINVAL — the sem argument is not a valid semaphore. Like, girl, what is that. 🙈
  • EBUSY — there are currently processes blocked on the semaphore. So busy!! It literally cannot, it is booked and blessed. 🫶

The following sections are informative. (Translation: the tea is optional but we're spilling it anyway. 💅)

🌈 EXAMPLES 🌈

None. 🤷

🧚 APPLICATION USAGE 🧚

None. 🤷

💜 RATIONALE 💜

None. 🤷

🦄 FUTURE DIRECTIONS 🦄

None. 🤷

🍓 SEE ALSO 🍓

  • semctl()
  • semget()
  • semop()
  • sem_init()
  • sem_open()

The Base Definitions volume of POSIX.1‐2017, <semaphore.h> 📚

Portions of this text are reprinted and reproduced in electronic form from IEEE Std 1003.1-2017, Standard for Information Technology -- Portable Operating System Interface (POSIX), The Open Group Base Specifications Issue 7, 2018 Edition, Copyright (C) 2018 by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc and The Open Group. In the event of any discrepancy between this version and the original IEEE and The Open Group Standard, the original IEEE and The Open Group Standard is the referee document. The original Standard can be obtained online at http://www.opengroup.org/unix/online.html .

Any typographical or formatting errors that appear in this page are most likely to have been introduced during the conversion of the source files to man page format. To report such errors, see https://www.kernel.org/doc/man-pages/reporting_bugs.html .

and that's the whole page, babe 🫶 this edition came to you courtesy of IEEE/The Open Group, dated 2017, and honestly? iconic of them. go forth and sem_destroy() responsibly. mwah. 💋

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