1Xau(3)                     Library Functions Manual                     Xau(3)
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NAME

6       Xau  library:  XauFileName,  XauReadAuth,  XauLockAuth,  XauUnlockAuth,
7       XauWriteAuth, XauDisposeAuth, XauGetAuthByAddr, XauGetBestAuthByAddr  -
8       X authority database routines
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SYNOPSIS

11       #include <X11/Xauth.h>
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13       typedef struct xauth {
14               unsigned short  family;
15               unsigned short  address_length;
16               char    *address;
17               unsigned short  number_length;
18               char    *number;
19               unsigned short  name_length;
20               char    *name;
21               unsigned short  data_length;
22               char    *data;
23       } Xauth;
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25       char *XauFileName (void);
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27       Xauth *XauReadAuth (FILE *auth_file);
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29       int XauWriteAuth (FILE *auth_file, Xauth *auth);
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31       Xauth *XauGetAuthByAddr (unsigned short family, unsigned short
32              address_length, const char *address, unsigned short
33              number_length, const char *number, unsigned short
34              name_length, const char *name);
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36       Xauth *XauGetBestAuthByAddr (unsigned short family, unsigned short
37              address_length, const char *address, unsigned short
38              number_length, const char *number, int types_length,
39              char **types, const int *type_lengths);
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41       int XauLockAuth (const char *file_name, int retries, int
42              timeout, long dead);
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44       int XauUnlockAuth (const char *file_name);
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46       int XauDisposeAuth (Xauth *auth);
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DESCRIPTION

49       XauFileName  generates  the  default  authorization  file name by first
50       checking the XAUTHORITY environment variable if set,  else  it  returns
51       $HOME/.Xauthority.  This name is statically allocated and should not be
52       freed.
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54       XauReadAuth reads the next entry from  auth_file.   The  entry  is  not
55       statically allocated and should be freed by calling XauDisposeAuth.
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57       XauWriteAuth  writes an authorization entry to auth_file.  It returns 1
58       on success, 0 on failure.
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60       XauGetAuthByAddr searches for an entry which matches the given  network
61       address/display number pair.  The entry is not statically allocated and
62       should be freed by calling XauDisposeAuth.
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64       XauGetBestAuthByAddr is similar to XauGetAuthByAddr, except that a list
65       of acceptable authentication methods is specified.  Xau will choose the
66       file entry which matches the earliest entry in  this  list  (e.g.,  the
67       most  secure authentication method).  The types argument is an array of
68       strings, one string for each authentication method.  types_length spec‐
69       ifies  how  many  elements are in the types array.  types_lengths is an
70       array of integers representing the length of each string.
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72       XauLockAuth does the work necessary to synchronously update  an  autho‐
73       rization file.  First it makes two file names, one with ``-c'' appended
74       to file_name, the other with ``-l'' appended.  If the ``-c''  file  al‐
75       ready  exists and is more than dead seconds old, XauLockAuth removes it
76       and the associated ``-l'' file.  To  prevent  possible  synchronization
77       troubles with NFS, a dead value of zero forces the files to be removed.
78       XauLockAuth makes retries attempts to create and link the  file  names,
79       pausing  timeout  seconds  between each attempt.  XauLockAuth returns a
80       collection of values depending on the results:
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82       LOCK_ERROR
83              A system error occurred, either a file_name which is  too  long,
84              or  an  unexpected  failure from a system call.  errno may prove
85              useful.
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87       LOCK_TIMEOUT
88              retries attempts failed
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90       LOCK_SUCCESS
91              The lock succeeded.
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93       XauUnlockAuth undoes the work of  XauLockAuth  by  unlinking  both  the
94       ``-c'' and ``-l'' file names.
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96       XauDisposeAuth frees storage allocated to hold an authorization entry.
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SEE ALSO

99       xauth(1), xdm(1)
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AUTHOR

102       Keith Packard, MIT X Consortium
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106X Version 11                     libXau 1.0.11                          Xau(3)