1explain(1)                  General Commands Manual                 explain(1)
2
3
4

NAME

6       explain - explain system call error messages
7

SYNOPSIS

9       explain [ option ...  ] function [ argument ...  ]
10
11       explain --version
12

DESCRIPTION

14       The  explain  command  is  used  to decode an error return read from an
15       strace(1) listing, or silimar.  Because this is being deciphered  in  a
16       different  process  than the orginal, the results will be less accurate
17       than if the program itself were to use libexplain(3).
18
19   Functions
20       The functions understood include:
21
22       accept fildes addr addrlen
23               The accept(2) system call.
24
25       accept4 fildes [[ sock_addr sock_addr_size ] flags ]
26               The accept4(2) system call.
27
28       access pathname
29               The access(2) system call.
30
31       acct pathname
32               The acct(2) system call.
33
34       acl_from_text text
35               The acl_from_text(3) system call.
36
37       acl_get_fd fildes
38               The acl_get_fd(3) system call.
39
40       acl_get_file pathname type
41               The acl_get_file(3) system call.
42
43       acl_set_fd fildes acl
44               The acl_set_fd(3) system call.
45
46       acl_set_file pathname type acl
47               The acl_set_file(3) system call.
48
49       acl_to_text acl len_p
50               The acl_to_text(3) system call.
51
52       adjtime delta olddelta
53               The adjtime(2) system call.
54
55       adjtimex data
56               The adjtimex(2) system call.
57
58       asprintf
59               The asprintf(3) system call.
60
61       bind fildes addr sockaddr_size
62               The bind(2) system call.
63
64       calloc nmemb size
65               The calloc(3) system call.
66
67       chdir pathname
68               The chdir(2) system call.
69
70       chmod pathname permission‐mode
71               The chmod(2) system call.
72
73       chown pathname owner group
74               The chown(2) system call.
75
76       chroot pathname
77               The chroot(2) system call.
78
79       close fildes
80               The close(2) system call.
81
82       closedir dir
83               The closedir(3) system call.
84
85       connect fildes serv_addr serv_addr_size
86               The connect(2) system call.
87
88       creat pathname [ permission‐mode
89               The creat(2) system call.
90
91       dirfd dir
92               The dirfd(3) system call.
93
94       dup fildes
95               The dup(2) system call.
96
97       dup2 oldfd newfd
98               The dup2(2) system call.
99
100       endgrent
101               The endgrent(3) system call.
102
103       eventfd initval flags
104               The eventfd(2) system call.
105
106       execlp pathname arg...
107               The execlp(3) system call.
108
109       execv pathname argv
110               The execv(3) system call.
111
112       execve pathname arg...
113               The execve(2) system call.
114
115       execvp pathname arg...
116               The execvp(3) system call.
117
118       fchdir pathname
119               The fchdir(2) system call.
120
121       fchmod fildes mode
122               The fchmod(2) system call.
123
124       fchown fildes owner group
125               The fchown(2) system call.
126
127       fchownat dirfd pathname owner group flags
128               The fchownat(2) system call.
129
130       fclose fp
131               The fclose(3) system call.
132
133       fcntl fildes command [ arg ]
134               The fcntl(2) system call.
135
136       fdopen fd mode
137               The fdopen(3) system call.
138
139       fdopendir fildes
140               The fdopendir(3) system call.
141
142       feof fp The feof(3) system call.
143
144       ferror fp
145               The ferror(3) system call.
146
147       fflush fp
148               The fflush(3) system call.
149
150       fgetc fp
151               The fgetc(3) system call.
152
153       fgetpos fp pos
154               The fgetpos(3) system call.
155
156       fgets data data_size fp
157               The fgets(3) system call.
158
159       fileno fp
160               The fileno(3) system call.
161
162       flock fildes command
163               The flock(2) system call.
164
165       fork    The fork(2) system call.
166
167       fpathconf fildes name
168               The fpathconf(3) system call.
169
170       fpurge fp
171               The fpurge(3) system call.
172
173       fread ptr size nmemb fp
174               The fread(3) system call.
175
176       fopen pathname mode
177               The fopen(2) system call.  The pathname argument may need to be
178               quoted  to insulate white space and punctuation from the shell.
179               The mode argument (a textual  equivalent  of  the  open  system
180               call's flags argument).  See fopen(3) for more information.
181
182       fputc c [ fp ]
183               The fputc(3) system call.
184
185       fputs s fp
186               The fputs(3) system call.
187
188       freopen pathname flags fp
189               The freopen(3) system call.
190
191       fseek fp offset whence
192               The fseek(3) system call.
193
194       fseeko fp offset whence
195               The fseeko(3) system call.
196
197       fsetpos fp pos
198               The fsetpos(3) system call.
199
200       fstat pathname
201               The fstat(2) system call.
202
203       fstatat fildes pathname data flags
204               The fstatat(2) system call.
205
206       fstatfs fildes data
207               The fstatfs(2) system call.
208
209       fstatvfs fildes data
210               The fstatvfs(2) system call.
211
212       fsync fildes
213               The fsync(2) system call.
214
215       ftell fp
216               The ftell(3) system call.
217
218       ftello fp
219               The ftello(3) system call.
220
221       ftime tp
222               The ftime(3) system call.
223
224       ftruncate fildes length
225               The ftruncate(2) system call.
226
227       futimens fildes data
228               The futimens(3) system call.
229
230       futimes fildes tv[0] data[1]
231               The futimes(3) system call.
232
233       futimesat fildes pathname data
234               The futimesat(2) system call.
235
236       getc fp The getc(3) system call.
237
238       getchar The getchar(3) system call.
239
240       getcwd buf size
241               The getcwd(2) system call.
242
243       getdomainname data data_size
244               The getdomainname(2) system call.
245
246       getgrent
247               The getgrent(3) system call.
248
249       getgrouplist user group groups ngroups
250               The getgrouplist(3) system call.
251
252       getgroups data_size data
253               The getgroups(2) system call.
254
255       gethostbyname name
256               The gethostbyname(3) system call.
257
258       gethostid
259               The gethostid(3) system call.
260
261       gethostname [ data data_size ]
262               The gethostname(2) system call.
263
264       getpeername fildes sock_addr sock_addr_size
265               The getpeername(2) system call.
266
267       getpgid pid
268               The getpgid(2) system call.
269
270       getpgrp pid
271               The getpgrp(2) system call.
272
273       getpriority which who
274               The getpriority(2) system call.
275
276       getresgid rgid egid sgid
277               The getresgid(2) system call.
278
279       getresuid ruid euid suid
280               The getresuid(2) system call.
281
282       getrlimit resource rlim
283               The getrlimit(2) system call.
284
285       getrusage who usage
286               The getrusage(2) system call.
287
288       getsockname fildes [ sock_addr [ sock_addr_size ]]
289               The getsockname(2) system call.
290
291       getsockopt fildes level name data data_size
292               The getsockopt(2) system call.
293
294       gettimeofday [ tv [ tz ] ]
295               The gettimeofday(2) system call.
296
297       getw fp The getw(3) system call.
298
299       iconv cd inbuf inbytesleft outbuf outbytesleft
300               The iconv(3) system call.
301
302       iconv_close cd
303               The iconv_close(3) system call.
304
305       iconv_open tocode fromcode
306               The iconv_open(3) system call.
307
308       ioctl fildes request data
309               The ioctl(2) system call.
310
311       kill pid sig
312               The kill(2) system call.
313
314       lchmod pathname mode
315               The lchmod(2) system call.
316
317       lchown pathname owner group
318               The lchown(2) system call.
319
320       lchownat fildes pathname uid gid
321               The lchownat(2) system call.
322
323       link oldpath newpath
324               The link(2) system call.
325
326       linkat old_fildes old_path new_fildes new_path flags
327               The linkat(2) system call.
328
329       listen fildes backlog
330               The listen(2) system call.
331
332       lseek fildes offset whence
333               The lseek(2) system call.
334
335       lstat pathname
336               The lstat(2) system call.
337
338       lutimes pathname data
339               The lutimes(3) system call.
340
341       malloc size
342               The malloc(3) system call.
343
344       mkdir pathname [ mode ]
345               The mkdir(2) system call.
346
347       mkdtemp pathname
348               The mkdtemp(3) system call.
349
350       mknod pathname mode dev
351               The mknod(2) system call.
352
353       mkostemp templat flags
354               The mkostemp(3) system call.
355
356       mkstemp templat
357               The mkstemp(3) system call.
358
359       mktemp pathname
360               The mktemp(3) system call.
361
362       mmap data data_size prot flags fildes offset
363               The mmap(2) system call.
364
365       mount source target file_systems_type       flags data
366               The mount(2) system call.
367
368       munmap data data_size
369               The munmap(2) system call.
370
371       nanosleep req rem
372               The nanosleep(2) system call.
373
374       nice inc
375               The nice(2) system call.
376
377       open pathname flags [ mode ]
378               The  open(2) system call.  The pathname argument may need to be
379               quoted to insulate white space and punctuation from the  shell.
380               The  flags argument may be numeric or symbolic.  The mode argu‐
381               ment may be numeric or symbolic.
382
383       openat fildes pathname flags mode
384               The openat(2) system call.  The flags argument may  be  numeric
385               or symbolic.  The mode argument may be numeric or symbolic.
386
387       opendir pathname
388               The opendir(3) system call.
389
390       pathconf pathname name
391               The pathconf(3) system call.
392
393       pclose fp
394               The pclose(3) system call.
395
396       pipe pipefd
397               The pipe(2) system call.
398
399       pipe2 fildes flags
400               The pipe2(2) system call.
401
402       poll fds nfds timeout
403               The poll(2) system call.
404
405       popen command flags
406               The popen(3) system call.
407
408       pread fildes data data_size offset
409               The pread(2) system call.
410
411       ptrace request pid addr data
412               The ptrace(2) system call.
413
414       putc c fp
415               The putc(3) system call.
416
417       putchar c
418               The putchar(3) system call.
419
420       putenv string
421               The putenv(3) system call.
422
423       puts s  The puts(3) system call.
424
425       putw value fp
426               The putw(3) system call.
427
428       pwrite fildes data data_size offset
429               The pwrite(2) system call.
430
431       raise sig
432               The raise(3) system call.
433
434       read fildes data data‐size
435               The read(2) system call.
436
437       realloc ptr size
438               The realloc(3) system call.
439
440       realpath pathname resolved_pathname
441               The realpath(3) system call.
442
443       rename oldpath newpath
444               The rename(2) system call.
445
446       readv fildes iov ...
447               The readv(2) system call.
448
449       select nfds readfds writefds exceptfds timeout
450               The select(2) system call.
451
452       setbuf fp data
453               The setbuf(3) system call.
454
455       setbuffer fp data size
456               The setbuffer(3) system call.
457
458       setdomainname data data_size
459               The setdomainname(2) system call.
460
461       setenv name value overwrite
462               The setenv(3) system call.
463
464       setgid gid
465               The setgid(2) system call.
466
467       setgrent
468               The setgrent(3) system call.
469
470       setgroups data_size data
471               The setgroups(2) system call.
472
473       sethostname name [ name_size ]
474               The sethostname(2) system call.
475
476       setlinebuf fp
477               The setlinebuf(3) system call.
478
479       setpgid [ pid [ pgid ]]
480               The setpgid(2) system call.
481
482       setpgrp pid pgid
483               The setpgrp(2) system call.
484
485       setpriority which who prio
486               The setpriority(2) system call.
487
488       setregid rgid egid
489               The setregid(2) system call.
490
491       setreuid ruid euid
492               The setreuid(2) system call.
493
494       setresgid rgid egid sgid
495               The setresgid(2) system call.
496
497       setresuid ruid euid suid
498               The setresuid(2) system call.
499
500       setreuid ruid euid
501               The setreuid(2) system call.
502
503       setsid  The setsid(2) system call.
504
505       setsockopt fildes level name data data_size
506               The setsockopt(2) system call.
507
508       settimeofday tv tz
509               The settimeofday(2) system call.
510
511       setuid uid
512               The setuid(2) system call.
513
514       setvbuf fp data mode size
515               The setvbuf(3) system call.
516
517       shmat shmid shmaddr shmflg
518               The shmat(2) system call.
519
520       shmctl shmid command data
521               The shmctl(2) system call.
522
523       signalfd fildes mask flags
524               The signalfd(2) system call.
525
526       sleep seconds
527               The sleep(3) system call.
528
529       socket domain type protocol
530               The socket(2) system call.
531
532       socketpair domain type protocol sv
533               The socketpair(2) system call.
534
535       stat pathname
536               The stat(2) system call.
537
538       statfs pathname data
539               The statfs(2) system call.
540
541       statvfs pathname data
542               The statvfs(2) system call.
543
544       stime t The stime(2) system call.
545
546       strcoll s1 s2
547               The strcoll(3) system call.
548
549       strdup data
550               The strdup(3) system call.
551
552       strerror
553               The error given will be printed out with all known detail.
554
555       strndup data data_size
556               The strndup(3) system call.
557
558       strtod nptr endptr
559               The strtod(3) system call.
560
561       strtof nptr endptr
562               The strtof(3) system call.
563
564       strtol nptr endptr base
565               The strtol(3) system call.
566
567       strtold nptr endptr
568               The strtold(3) system call.
569
570       strtoll nptr endptr base
571               The strtoll(3) system call.
572
573       strtoul nptr endptr base
574               The strtoul(3) system call.
575
576       strtoull nptr endptr base
577               The strtoull(3) system call.
578
579       symlink oldpath newpath
580               The symlink(2) system call.
581
582       system command
583               The system(3) system call.
584
585       tcdrain fildes
586               The tcdrain(3) system call.
587
588       tcflow fildes action
589               The tcflow(3) system call.
590
591       tcflush fildes selector
592               The tcflush(3) system call.
593
594       tcgetattr fildes data
595               The tcgetattr(3) system call.
596
597       tcsendbreak fildes duration
598               The tcsendbreak(3) system call.
599
600       tcsetattr fildes options data
601               The tcsetattr(3) system call.
602
603       telldir dir
604               The telldir(3) system call.
605
606       tempnam dir prefix
607               The tempnam(3) system call.
608
609       time t  The time(2) system call.
610
611       timerfd_create clockid flags
612               The timerfd_create(2) system call.
613
614       tmpfile The tmpfile(3) system call.
615
616       tmpnam pathname
617               The tmpnam(3) system call.
618
619       truncate pathname size
620               The truncate(2) system call.
621
622       usleep usec
623               The usleep(3) system call.
624
625       uname data
626               The uname(2) system call.
627
628       ungetc c fp
629               The ungetc(3) system call.
630
631       unlink pathname
632               The unlink(2) system call.
633
634       unsetenv name
635               The unsetenv(3) system call.
636
637       ustat dev ubuf
638               The ustat(2) system call.
639
640       utime pathname [ times ]
641               The utime(2) system call.
642
643       utimens pathname [ data ]
644               The utimens(2) system call.
645
646       utimensat [ fildes ] pathname [ data [ flags ]]
647               The utimensat(2) system call.
648
649       utimes pathname data
650               The utimes(2) system call.
651
652       vasprintf data format ap
653               The vasprintf(3) system call.
654
655       vfork   The vfork(2) system call.
656
657       wait status
658               The wait(2) system call.
659
660       wait3 status options rusage
661               The wait3(2) system call.
662
663       wait4 pid status options rusage
664               The wait4(2) system call.
665
666       waitpid pid status options
667               The waitpid(2) system call.
668
669       write fildes data data‐size
670               The write(2) system call.
671
672       writev fildes data data‐size
673               The writev(2) system call.
674
675       Do not include the perentheses used to make the call.
676

OPTIONS

678       The explain command understands the following options:
679
680       -E      The  exit  staus,  success or fail, will be printed immediately
681               before the access command terminates.
682
683       -e number
684               The value of errno as a number (e.g. 2), or as a  symbol  (e.g.
685               ENOENT),  or  as  the text of its meaning (e.g. No such file or
686               directory).  You will need quotes to insulate spaces and  punc‐
687               tuation from the shell.
688
689       -V      Print the version of the explain executing.
690

EXIT STATUS

692       The explain command exits with status 1 on any error.  The explain com‐
693       mand only exits with status 0 if there are no errors.
694
696       explain version 1.4
697       Copyright (C) 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 Peter Miller
698

AUTHOR

700       Written by Peter Miller <pmiller@opensource.org.au>
701
702
703
704                                                                    explain(1)
Impressum