BITS Pilani

Tutorial session 7: Directory system calls

 Open() System call
• Syntax:
fd = open(filename, flags, modes);
• Parameters:
filename: file name (includes path with in
current directory))
flag: read or write, or both
mode: permissions
• Return value: The open system call returns an
integer value to be stored in ‘fd’. If it fails, then it
returns -1.
October 30, 2020 OS Tutorial 7 (Sections 3 and 4) 2
Open system call – example code

October 30, 2020 OS Tutorial 7 (Sections 3 and 4) 3

 Dup
• The dup system call copies a file descriptor into
the first free slot of the user file descriptor table,
returning the new file descriptor to the user.
• Syntax:
newfd = dup(fd);
• The dup system call duplicates the file descriptor.
• It increments the count of the corresponding file
table entry.

October 30, 2020 OS Tutorial 7 (Sections 3 and 4) 4

 Data structures after Dup

October 30, 2020 OS Tutorial 7 (Sections 3 and 4) 5

 C program using dup

October 30, 2020 OS Tutorial 7 (Sections 3 and 4) 6

Different flags values

Slides 7- 20: adapted from an earlier offering by Dr. Mayuri Digalwar

October 30, 2020 OS Tutorial 7 (Sections 3 and 4) 7
 Close ()
• int close( int fd); /*file descriptor */

• /* Returns 0 on success and -1 on error */

• It makes the file descriptor available for re-
use.
• It does not flush any kernel buffers or
perform any other clean-up task.

October 30, 2020 OS Tutorial 7 (Sections 3 and 4) 8

 read() system call
 size_t read(int fd, void *buf, size_t nbytes);

 size_t write(int fd, void *buf, size_t nbytes);

fd – file descriptor
buf – buffer to hold data after read
nbytes – number of bytes to be read
Both functions return number of bytes
read/written and returns -1 on error.

October 30, 2020 OS Tutorial 7 (Sections 3 and 4) 9

 Write system call
• #include<sys/types.h>
• # include<unistd.h>
• ssize_t write(
• int fd,/* open file descriptor on which to
write*/
• const void *buf, /*data to write*/
• ssize_t nbytes /*amount to write*/
• );
• /* Returns the number of bytes written or -1 on
error */

October 30, 2020 OS Tutorial 7 (Sections 3 and 4) 10

lseek() system call
It sets the read/write pointer of a file descriptor
which it can use for next read/write
off_t lseek(int fd, off_t offset, int reference);
 offset is used to specify the position
 reference is used by the offset
 SEEK_SET – offset is absolute position
 SEEK_CUR – offset is relative to the current
position
 SEEK_END – offset is relative to the end of
the file

October 30, 2020 OS Tutorial 7 (Sections 3 and 4) 11

creat() system call

Syntax is
fd = creat(pathname,mode)
 int creat(const char *path, mode_t mode);

 flags : O_WRONLY|O_CREAT|O_TRUNC
always same constant value, so no need to
mention

October 30, 2020 OS Tutorial 7 (Sections 3 and 4) 12

 Directory System Calls
 getcwd()
 mkdir()
 chdir()
 rmdir()
 opendir()
 closedir()
 readdir()

October 30, 2020 OS Tutorial 7 (Sections 3 and 4) 13

 getcwd System Call
 To get the current working directory in UNIX, we use the “pwd”
command.
 The system call behind the “pwd” command is the getcwd() call.
# include<unistd.h>
char *getcwd(
char *buf, /* Returned pathname */
size_t bufsize /* sizeof buf */
);
/* Returns pointer to 'buf' on success and NULL on error */
bufsize should the maximum size of path. Following system call to get
maximum size of path
long max= pathconf(“/”,_PC_PATH_MAX);

October 30, 2020 OS Tutorial 7 (Sections 3 and 4) 14

 A program that uses the getcwd()
# include<stdio.h>
# include<unistd.h>
int main(void) {
long max;
char *buf;
max= pathconf(“/”,_PC_PATH_MAX);
buf=(char*)malloc(max);
getcwd(buf, max);
printf(“%s\n”,buf);
return 0;
}

October 30, 2020 OS Tutorial 7 (Sections 3 and 4) 15

 chdir System Call(cd command in
Unix)
# include<unistd.h>
int chdir(
const char *path;
);
/* Returns zero on success and -1 on error */
This system call changes the current working directory to that specified
in “path”.

October 30, 2020 OS Tutorial 7 (Sections 3 and 4) 16

 Make and remove dir System Call

# include<sys/stat.h>
int mkdir(
const char *path, /* Pathname */
mode_t perms /* Permissions */
);
/* Returns 0 on success and -1 on error */

int rmdir(
const char *path /* Pathname */
);
/* Returns 0 on success and -1 on error */

October 30, 2020 OS Tutorial 7 (Sections 3 and 4) 17

 Program to make and remove directory
int main(int argc,char *argv[])
{ int md,rd;
DIR *ds;
struct dirent *dir;
md = mkdir(argv[1],0777);
if(md == 0)
printf("%s directory is created\n",argv[1]);
else
printf("%s directory is not created\n",argv[1]);
rd = rmdir(argv[2]);
if(rd == 0)
printf("%s directory is removed\n",argv[2]);
else
printf("%s directory is not removed\n",argv[2]);
}

October 30, 2020 OS Tutorial 7 (Sections 3 and 4) 18

 opendir and closedir System Calls

# include<dirent.h>
DIR* opendir(
const char *path /* directory pathname */
);
/* Returns a DIR pointer or NULL on error */

# include<dirent.h>
int closedir(
DIR *dirp /*DIR pointer from opendir */
);
/* Returns a 0 on success or -1 on error */
October 30, 2020 OS Tutorial 7 (Sections 3 and 4) 19
 readdir System Call and dirent structure

#include <dirent.h>
struct dirent *readdir(
DIR *dirp /* DIR Pointer from opendir */
);
/* Returns structure or NULL on EOF or error */

struct dirent {
ino_t d_ino; /* i-number */
char d_name[]; /* name */
};

October 30, 2020 OS Tutorial 7 (Sections 3 and 4) 20

 Opendir, readdir and closedir
system calls

October 30, 2020 OS Tutorial 7 (Sections 3 and 4) 21

 output

October 30, 2020 OS Tutorial 7 (Sections 3 and 4) 22