acct(2) acct(2)
NAME
acct - enable or disable process accounting
SYNOPSIS
#include <unistd.h>
int acct(const char *path);
DESCRIPTION
acct enables or disables the system process accounting routine. If
the routine is enabled, an accounting record will be written in an
accounting file for each process that terminates. The termination of
a process can be caused by one of two things: an exit call or a
signal [see exit(2) and signal(2)]. The effective user ID of the
process calling acct must be superuser.
path points to a pathname naming the accounting file. The accounting
file format is given in acct(4).
The accounting routine is enabled if path is non-zero and no errors
occur during the system call. It is disabled if path is (char *)NULL
and no errors occur during the system call.
acct will fail if one or more of the following are true:
EACCES The file named by path is not an ordinary file.
EBUSY An attempt is being made to enable accounting
using the same file that is currently being used.
EFAULT path points to an illegal address.
ELOOP Too many symbolic links were encountered in
translating path.
ENAMETOOLONG The length of the path argument exceeds
{PATHMAX}, or the length of a path component
exceeds {NAMEMAX} while POSIXNOTRUNC is in
effect.
ENOTDIR A component of the path prefix is not a
directory.
ENOENT One or more components of the accounting file
pathname do not exist.
EPERM The effective user of the calling process is not
superuser.
7/91 Page 1
acct(2) acct(2)
EROFS The named file resides on a read-only file
system.
SEE ALSO
exit(2), signal(2) in the System Administrator's Reference Manual.
acct(4).
DIAGNOSTICS
Upon successful completion, a value of 0 is returned. Otherwise, a
value of -1 is returned and errno is set to indicate the error.
Page 2 7/91