ULIMIT(3P)

🌸 PROLOG 🌸

okay bestie, real talk before we even start: this page is part of the POSIX Programmer's Manual. The Linux implementation of this interface may differ (so like, go read the corresponding Linux manual page for the deets on Linux behavior), or honestly the interface might not even be implemented on Linux at all. 🙈 not everything makes it to the party.

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✨ NAME ✨

ulimit — get and set process limits 💅

🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

#include <ulimit.h>

long ulimit(int cmd, ...);

💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

so the ulimit() function controls process limits. The process limits that can be controlled by this function include the maximum size of a single file that can be written — and that's equivalent to using setrlimit() with RLIMIT_FSIZE. iconic.

The cmd values, defined in <ulimit.h>, include:

• UL_GETFSIZE — Return the file size limit (RLIMIT_FSIZE) of the process. The limit shall be in units of 512-byte blocks and shall be inherited by child processes. Files of any size can be read. The return value shall be the integer part of the soft file size limit divided by 512. If the result cannot be represented as a long, the result is unspecified. 💀
• UL_SETFSIZE — Set the file size limit for output operations of the process to the value of the second argument, taken as a long, multiplied by 512. If the result would overflow an rlim_t, the actual value set is unspecified. Any process may decrease its own limit, but only a process with appropriate privileges may increase the limit. The return value shall be the integer part of the new file size limit divided by 512.

ngl, the ulimit() function shall not change the setting of errno if successful. so if it works, errno stays exactly where it was, no cap. 🫶

As all return values are permissible in a successful situation, an application wishing to check for error situations should set errno to 0, then call ulimit(), and, if it returns -1, check to see if errno is non-zero. that's the whole vibe check right there, bestie.

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🌈 RETURN VALUE 🌈

Upon successful completion, ulimit() shall return the value of the requested limit. Otherwise, -1 shall be returned and errno set to indicate the error. 😭

💜 ERRORS 💜

The ulimit() function shall fail and the limit shall be unchanged if:

• EINVAL — The cmd argument is not valid.
• EPERM — A process not having appropriate privileges attempts to increase its file size limit. 🙅‍♀️ not on my watch.

The following sections are informative.

🦋 EXAMPLES 🦋

None. 😶 (yes bestie, literally none. we move.)

⭐ APPLICATION USAGE ⭐

Since the ulimit() function uses type long rather than rlim_t, this function is not sufficient for file sizes on many current systems. Applications should use the getrlimit() or setrlimit() functions instead of the obsolescent ulimit() function. it's giving "please use the newer one, i'm begging." 🙏

🌸 RATIONALE 🌸

None.

🧚 FUTURE DIRECTIONS 🧚

The ulimit() function may be removed in a future version. ⚰️ so like... don't build your whole personality around it.

👑 SEE ALSO 👑

exec, getrlimit(), write()

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

💅 COPYRIGHT 💅

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 .

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and that's the whole page, bestie — brought to you by the IEEE/The Open Group, dated 2017, filed under ULIMIT(3P). 💖✨ go forth and read the Linux man page instead, fr fr.