huschi.net

ARCH_PRCTL(2)              Linux Programmer's Manual             ARCH_PRCTL(2)

NAME
       arch_prctl - set architecture-specific thread state
SYNOPSIS
       #include <asm/prctl.h>
       #include <sys/prctl.h>
       int arch_prctl(int code, unsigned long addr);
       int arch_prctl(int code, unsigned long *addr);
DESCRIPTION
       The  arch_prctl() function sets architecture-specific process or thread
       state.  code selects a subfunction and passes argument addr to it; addr
       is  interpreted as either an unsigned long for the "set" operations, or
       as an unsigned long *, for the "get" operations.
       Subfunctions for x86-64 are:
       ARCH_SET_FS
              Set the 64-bit base for the FS register to addr.
       ARCH_GET_FS
              Return the 64-bit base value for the FS register of the  current
              thread in the unsigned long pointed to by addr.
       ARCH_SET_GS
              Set the 64-bit base for the GS register to addr.
       ARCH_GET_GS
              Return  the 64-bit base value for the GS register of the current
              thread in the unsigned long pointed to by addr.
RETURN VALUE
       On success, arch_prctl() returns 0; on error, -1 is returned, and errno
       is set to indicate the error.
ERRORS
       EFAULT addr  points  to  an  unmapped address or is outside the process
              address space.
       EINVAL code is not a valid subcommand.
       EPERM  addr is outside the process address space.
CONFORMING TO
       arch_prctl() is a Linux/x86-64 extension and should not be used in pro-
       grams intended to be portable.
NOTES
       arch_prctl() is supported only on Linux/x86-64 for 64-bit programs cur-
       rently.
       The 64-bit base changes when a new 32-bit segment selector is loaded.
       ARCH_SET_GS is disabled in some kernels.
       Context switches for 64-bit segment bases are rather expensive.  It may
       be  a  faster alternative to set a 32-bit base using a segment selector
       by setting up an LDT with modify_ldt(2) or using the set_thread_area(2)
       system  call  in kernel 2.5 or later.  arch_prctl() is needed only when
       you want to set bases that are larger than 4GB.  Memory  in  the  first
       2GB  of  address  space  can  be  allocated  by  using mmap(2) with the
       MAP_32BIT flag.
       As of version 2.7, glibc provides no prototype for  arch_prctl().   You
       have to declare it yourself for now.  This may be fixed in future glibc
       versions.
       FS may be already used by the threading library.
SEE ALSO
       mmap(2), modify_ldt(2), prctl(2), set_thread_area(2)
       AMD X86-64 Programmer's manual
COLOPHON
       This page is part of release 3.53 of the Linux  man-pages  project.   A
       description  of  the project, and information about reporting bugs, can
       be found at http://www.kernel.org/doc/man-pages/.

Linux                             2007-12-26                     ARCH_PRCTL(2)