getpwent(3)                         CLIX                         getpwent(3)



  NAME

    getpwent, getpwuid, getpwnam, putpwent, setpwent, endpwent, fgetpwent -
    Accesses basic user information in password file

  LIBRARY

    Standard C Library (libc.a)

  SYNOPSIS

    #include <pwd.h>

    struct passwd *getpwent(
      void );

    struct passwd *getpwuid(
      uid_t uid );

    struct passwd *getpwnam(
      char *name );

    int putpwent(
      struct passwd *passwd ,
      FILE file );

    void setpwent(
      void );

    void endpwent(
      void );

    struct passwd *fgetpwent(
      FILE *file );

  PARAMETERS

    uid      Specifies the ID of the user for which the basic attributes are
             to be read.

    name     Specifies the name of the user for which the basic attributes are
             to be read.

    passwd   Specifies the password structure that contains the user
             attributes which are to be written.

    file     Specifies an open file having a format is like that of the
             /etc/passwd file.

  DESCRIPTION




  2/94 - Intergraph Corporation                                              1

  getpwent(3)                         CLIX                         getpwent(3)



    The getpwent(), getpwuid(), and getpwnam() functions return a pointer to
    an object of type struct passwd containing an entry from the password
    file, /etc/passwd.  Each line in the file contains a passwd structure
    declared in the <pwd.h> header file:

    struct passwd {
         char *pw_name;
         char *pw_passwd;
         int  pw_uid;
         int  pw_gid;
         char *pw_age;
         char *pw_comment;
         char *pw_gecos;
         char *pw_dir;
         char *pw_shell;
    };

    When first called, getpwent() returns a pointer to the first passwd
    structure in /etc/passwd.  Thereafter, it returns a pointer to the next
    passwd structure in the file.  This allows successive calls to search the
    entire file.

    The getpwuid() function searches from the beginning of the /etc/passwd
    file until a numerical user ID matching uid is found and returns a pointer
    to the structure in which it was found.

    The getpwnam() function searches from the beginning of the /etc/passwd
    file until a login name matching name is found and returns a pointer to
    the structure in which it was found.

    The putpwent() function updates user descriptions.  Given a pointer to a
    passwd structure (possibly created by the getpwent(), getpwuid(), or
    getpwnam() functions), the putpwent() function writes a line on the stream
    file, which should match the format of the /etc/passwd file.

    The setpwent() function effectively rewinds /etc/passwd to allow repeated
    searches.

    The endpwent() function closes /etc/passwd.

    The fgetpwent() function returns a pointer to the next passwd structure in
    the stream file.  The stream file should match the format of the
    /etc/passwd file.

  FILES

    /etc/passwd   System password file.

  NOTES

    All information generated is stored in a static area and will be



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  getpwent(3)                         CLIX                         getpwent(3)



    overwritten on subsequent calls to these functions.  If this information
    is to be saved, it should be copied.

  CAUTIONS

    The above functions use <stdio.h>, which causes them to increase the size
    of programs not otherwise using standard I/O more than might be expected.

  RETURN VALUES

    The getpwent(), getpwnam(), getpwuid() and fgetpwent() functions return a
    pointer to a valid passwd structure if successful.  Otherwise, NULL is
    returned.

    The putpwent() function returns a nonzero value if an error was detected
    during its operation.  Otherwise, 0 is returned.

  RELATED INFORMATION

    Commands:  ypserv(8)

    Functions:  getgrent(3), getlogin(3)

    Files:  pwd.h, passwd(4)






























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