chdir(2) - Linux man page
Name
chdir, fchdir - change working directory
Synopsis
#include <unistd.h>
int chdir(const char *path);
int fchdir(int fd);
Feature Test Macro Requirements for glibc (see feature_test_macros(7)):
- fchdir():
- _BSD_SOURCE || _XOPEN_SOURCE >= 500 || _XOPEN_SOURCE && _XOPEN_SOURCE_EXTENDED
|| /* Since glibc 2.12: */ _POSIX_C_SOURCE >= 200809L
Description
chdir() changes the current working directory of the calling process to the directory specified in path.
fchdir() is identical to chdir(); the only difference is that the directory is given as an open file descriptor.
Return Value
On success, zero is returned. On error, -1 is returned, and errno is set appropriately.
Errors
Depending on the file system, other errors can be returned. The more general errors for chdir() are listed below:
- EACCES
Search permission is denied for one of the components of path. (See also path_resolution(7).)
EFAULT
path points outside your accessible address space.
EIO
An I/O error occurred.
ELOOP
Too many symbolic links were encountered in resolving path.
- ENAMETOOLONG
- path is too long.
- ENOENT
The file does not exist.
ENOMEM
Insufficient kernel memory was available.
- ENOTDIR
- A component of path is not a directory.
- The general errors for fchdir() are listed below:
- EACCES
Search permission was denied on the directory open on fd.
EBADF
fd is not a valid file descriptor.
- EACCES
Conforming To
SVr4, 4.4BSD, POSIX.1-2001.
Notes
The current working directory is the starting point for interpreting relative pathnames (those not starting with '/').
A child process created via fork(2) inherits its parent's current working directory. The current working directory is left unchanged by execve(2).
See Also
chroot(2), getcwd(3), path_resolution(7)
