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ARCH_PRCTL(2)                 Linux Programmer's Manual                 ARCH_PRCTL(2)

NAME         top

       arch_prctl - set architecture-specific thread state

SYNOPSIS         top

       #include <asm/prctl.h>
       #include <sys/prctl.h>

       int arch_prctl(int code, unsigned long addr);
       int arch_prctl(int code, unsigned long *addr);

DESCRIPTION         top

       The arch_prctl() function sets architecture-specific process or thread state.
       code selects a subfunction and passes argument addr to it; addr is interpreted
       as either an unsigned long for the "set" operations, or as an unsigned long *,
       for the "get" operations.

       Sub functions for x86-64 are:

       ARCH_SET_FS
              Set the 64-bit base for the FS register to addr.

       ARCH_GET_FS
              Return the 64-bit base value for the FS register of the current thread
              in the unsigned long pointed to by addr.

       ARCH_SET_GS
              Set the 64-bit base for the GS register to addr.

       ARCH_GET_GS
              Return the 64-bit base value for the GS register of the current thread
              in the unsigned long pointed to by addr.

RETURN VALUE         top

       On success, arch_prctl() returns 0; on error, -1 is returned, and errno is set
       to indicate the error.

ERRORS         top

       EFAULT addr points to an unmapped address or is outside the process address
              space.

       EINVAL code is not a valid subcommand.

       EPERM  addr is outside the process address space.

CONFORMING TO         top

       arch_prctl() is a Linux/x86-64 extension and should not be used in programs
       intended to be portable.

NOTES         top

       arch_prctl() is only supported on Linux/x86-64 for 64-bit programs currently.

       The 64-bit base changes when a new 32-bit segment selector is loaded.

       ARCH_SET_GS is disabled in some kernels.

       Context switches for 64-bit segment bases are rather expensive.  It may be a
       faster alternative to set a 32-bit base using a segment selector by setting up
       an LDT with modify_ldt(2) or using the set_thread_area(2) system call in
       kernel 2.5 or later.  arch_prctl() is only needed when you want to set bases
       that are larger than 4GB.  Memory in the first 2GB of address space can be
       allocated by using mmap(2) with the MAP_32BIT flag.

       As of version 2.7, glibc provides no prototype for arch_prctl().  You have to
       declare it yourself for now.  This may be fixed in future glibc versions.

       FS may be already used by the threading library.

SEE ALSO         top

       mmap(2), modify_ldt(2), prctl(2), set_thread_area(2)

       AMD X86-64 Programmer's manual

COLOPHON         top

       This page is part of release 3.23 of the Linux man-pages project.  A
       description of the project, and information about reporting bugs, can be found
       at http://www.kernel.org/doc/man-pages/.

Linux                                 2007-12-26                        ARCH_PRCTL(2)