GETCWD(3)                BSD Library Functions Manual                GETCWD(3)

NAME
     getcwd, getwd -- get working directory pathname

LIBRARY
     Standard C Library (libc, -lc)

SYNOPSIS
     #include <unistd.h>

     char *
     getcwd(char *buf, size_t size);

     char *
     getwd(char *buf);

DESCRIPTION
     The getcwd() function copies the absolute pathname of the current working
     directory into the memory referenced by buf and returns a pointer to buf.
     The size argument is the size, in bytes, of the array referenced by buf.

     If buf is NULL, space is allocated as necessary to store the pathname and
     size is ignored.  This space may later be free(3)'d.

     The function getwd() is a compatibility routine which calls getcwd() with
     its buf argument and a size of MAXPATHLEN (as defined in the include file
     <sys/param.h>).  Obviously, buf should be at least MAXPATHLEN bytes in
     length.

     These routines have traditionally been used by programs to save the name
     of a working directory for the purpose of returning to it.  A much faster
     and less error-prone method of accomplishing this is to open the current
     directory (`.') and use the fchdir(2) function to return.

RETURN VALUES
     Upon successful completion, a pointer to the pathname is returned.  Oth-
     erwise a NULL pointer is returned and the global variable errno is set to
     indicate the error.  In addition, getwd() copies the error message asso-
     ciated with errno into the memory referenced by buf.

ERRORS
     The getcwd() function will fail if:

     [EINVAL]           The size argument is zero.

     [ENOENT]           A component of the pathname no longer exists.

     [ENOMEM]           Insufficient memory is available.

     [ERANGE]           The size argument is greater than zero but smaller
                        than the length of the pathname plus 1.

     The getcwd() function may fail if:

     [EACCES]           Read or search permission was denied for a component
                        of the pathname.  This is only checked in limited
                        cases, depending on implementation details.

SEE ALSO
     chdir(2), fchdir(2), malloc(3), strerror(3)

STANDARDS
     The getcwd() function conforms to ISO/IEC 9945-1:1990 (``POSIX.1'').  The
     ability to specify a NULL pointer and have getcwd() allocate memory as
     necessary is an extension.

HISTORY
     The getwd() function appeared in 4.0BSD.

BUGS
     The getwd() function does not do sufficient error checking and is not
     able to return very long, but valid, paths.  It is provided for compati-
     bility.

BSD                             April 17, 2010                             BSD