NAME

chdir, chroot − change default directory

SYNOPSIS

chdir(dirname)
char *dirname;

chroot(dirname)
char *dirname;

DESCRIPTION

Dirname is the address of the pathname of a directory, terminated by a null byte.  Chdir causes this directory to become the current working directory, the starting point for path names not beginning with ’/’. 

Chroot sets the root directory, the starting point for path names beginning with ’/’.  The call is restricted to the superuser. 

RETURN VALUE

Zero is returned if the directory is changed; −1 is returned if the given name is not that of a directory or is not searchable. 

DIAGNOSTICS

Chdir will fail and the current working directory will be unchanged if one or more of the following is true:

[EACCES] Search permission is denied for a component of the path name. 

[EFAULT] Dirname points outside the process’s allocated address space. 

[ENFILE] Insufficient system space to contain i-node. 

[ENOENT] The named directory, or an element within the named path, does not exist. 

[ENOTDIR] A component of the path name is not a directory. 

Chroot will also fail if:

[EPERM] The user is not the superuser. 

SEE ALSO

cd(1)

ASSEMBLER

(chdir = 12.) 
sys chdir; dirname

(chroot = 61.) 
sys chroot; dirname