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SEMGET(2)                                  BSD System Calls Manual                                 SEMGET(2)

NAME
     semget -- obtain a semaphore id

SYNOPSIS
     #include <sys/sem.h>

     int
     semget(key_t key, int nsems, int semflg);

DESCRIPTION
     Based on the values of key and semflg, semget() returns the identifier of a newly created or previously
     existing set of semaphores.  The key is analogous to a filename: it provides a handle that names an IPC
     object.  There are three ways to specify a key:

     •   IPC_PRIVATE may be specified, in which case a new IPC object will be created.

     •   An integer constant may be specified.  If no IPC object corresponding to key is specified and the
         IPC_CREAT bit is set in semflg, a new one will be created.

     •   The ftok(3) function may be used to generate a key from a pathname.

     The mode of a newly created IPC object is determined by OR'ing the following constants into the semflg
     argument:

     SEM_R         Read access for user.

     SEM_A         Alter access for user.

     (SEM_R>>3)    Read access for group.

     (SEM_A>>3)    Alter access for group.

     (SEM_R>>6)    Read access for other.

     (SEM_A>>6)    Alter access for other.

     If a new set of semaphores is being created, nsems is used to indicate the number of semaphores the set
     should contain.  Otherwise, nsems may be specified as 0.

RETURN VALUES
     The semget() system call returns the id of a semaphore set if successful; otherwise, -1 is returned and
     errno is set to indicate the error.

ERRORS
     The semget() system call will fail if:

     [EACCES]           Access permission failure.

     [EEXIST]           IPC_CREAT and IPC_EXCL were specified, and a semaphore set corresponding to key
                        already exists.

     [EINVAL]           The number of semaphores requested is either less than 1 or greater than the system
                        imposed maximum per set.

     [EINVAL]           A semaphore identifier exists for the argument key, but the number of semaphores in
                        the set associated with it is less than nsems, and nsems is non-zero.

     [ENOENT]           No semaphore set was found corresponding to key, and IPC_CREAT was not specified.

     [ENOSPC]           Insufficiently many semaphores are available.

     [ENOSPC]           The kernel could not allocate a struct semid_ds.

LEGACY SYNOPSIS
     #include <sys/types.h>
     #include <sys/ipc.h>
     #include <sys/sem.h>

     The include files <sys/types.h> and <sys/ipc.h> are necessary.

SEE ALSO
     semctl(2), semop(2), ftok(3), compat(5)

BSD                                          September 12, 1995                                          BSD