CHDIR(3P)                                           POSIX Programmer's Manual                                          CHDIR(3P)



PROLOG
       This  manual  page is part of the POSIX Programmer's Manual.  The Linux implementation of this interface may differ (con-
       sult the corresponding Linux manual page for details of Linux behavior), or the  interface  may  not  be  implemented  on
       Linux.

NAME
       chdir - change working directory

SYNOPSIS
       #include <unistd.h>

       int chdir(const char *path);


DESCRIPTION
       The  chdir()  function shall cause the directory named by the pathname pointed to by the path argument to become the cur-
       rent working directory; that is, the starting point for path searches for pathnames not beginning with '/' .

RETURN VALUE
       Upon successful completion, 0 shall be returned. Otherwise, -1 shall be returned, the  current  working  directory  shall
       remain unchanged, and errno shall be set to indicate the error.

ERRORS
       The chdir() function shall fail if:

       EACCES Search permission is denied for any component of the pathname.

       ELOOP  A loop exists in symbolic links encountered during resolution of the path argument.

       ENAMETOOLONG
              The length of the path argument exceeds {PATH_MAX} or a pathname component is longer than {NAME_MAX}.

       ENOENT A component of path does not name an existing directory or path is an empty string.

       ENOTDIR
              A component of the pathname is not a directory.


       The chdir() function may fail if:

       ELOOP  More than {SYMLOOP_MAX} symbolic links were encountered during resolution of the path argument.

       ENAMETOOLONG
              As  a  result  of  encountering  a symbolic link in resolution of the path argument, the length of the substituted
              pathname string exceeded {PATH_MAX}.


       The following sections are informative.

EXAMPLES
   Changing the Current Working Directory
       The following example makes the value pointed to by directory, /tmp, the current working directory.


              #include <unistd.h>
              ...
              char *directory = "/tmp";
              int ret;


              ret = chdir (directory);

APPLICATION USAGE
       None.

RATIONALE
       The chdir() function only affects the working directory of the current process.

FUTURE DIRECTIONS
       None.

SEE ALSO
       getcwd(), the Base Definitions volume of IEEE Std 1003.1-2001, <unistd.h>

COPYRIGHT
       Portions of this text are reprinted and reproduced in electronic form from IEEE Std 1003.1, 2003  Edition,  Standard  for
       Information  Technology -- Portable Operating System Interface (POSIX), The Open Group Base Specifications Issue 6, Copy-
       right (C) 2001-2003 by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc and The Open Group. In the event of any
       discrepancy  between this version and the original IEEE and The Open Group Standard, the original IEEE and The Open Group
       Standard  is  the  referee   document.   The   original   Standard   can   be   obtained   online   at   http://www.open-
       group.org/unix/online.html .



IEEE/The Open Group                                           2003                                                     CHDIR(3P)