SIGALTSTACK(2) BSD System Calls Manual SIGALTSTACK(2)
NAME
sigaltstack -- set and/or get signal stack context
SYNOPSIS
#include <signal.h>
int
sigaltstack(const stack_t *restrict ss, stack_t *restrict oss);
DESCRIPTION
Sigaltstack() allows users to define an alternate stack on which signals are to be processed. If ss is
non-zero, it specifies a pointer to and the size of a signal stack on which to deliver signals, and
tells the system if the process is currently executing on that stack. When a signal's action indicates
its handler should execute on the signal stack (specified with a sigaction(2) call), the system checks
to see if the process is currently executing on that stack. If the process is not currently executing
on the signal stack, the system arranges a switch to the signal stack for the duration of the signal
handler's execution.
If SA_DISABLE is set in ss_flags, ss_sp and ss_size are ignored and the signal stack will be disabled.
Trying to disable an active stack will cause sigaltstack to return -1 with errno set to EINVAL. A dis-abled disabled
abled stack will cause all signals to be taken on the regular user stack. If the stack is later re-enabled reenabled
enabled then all signals that were specified to be processed on an alternate stack will resume doing
so.
If oss is non-zero, the current signal stack state is returned. The ss_flags field will contain the
value SA_ONSTACK if the process is currently on a signal stack and SA_DISABLE if the signal stack is
currently disabled.
NOTES
The value SIGSTKSZ is defined to be the number of bytes/chars that would be used to cover the usual
case when allocating an alternate stack area. The following code fragment is typically used to allo-cate allocate
cate an alternate stack.
if ((sigstk.ss_sp = malloc(SIGSTKSZ)) == NULL)
/* error return */
sigstk.ss_size = SIGSTKSZ;
sigstk.ss_flags = 0;
if (sigaltstack(&sigstk,0) < 0)
perror("sigaltstack");
An alternative approach is provided for programs with signal handlers that require a specific amount of
stack space other than the default size. The value MINSIGSTKSZ is defined to be the number of
bytes/chars that is required by the operating system to implement the alternate stack feature. In com-
puting an alternate stack size, programs should add MINSIGSTKSZ to their stack requirements to allow
for the operating system overhead.
Signal stacks are automatically adjusted for the direction of stack growth and alignment requirements.
Signal stacks may or may not be protected by the hardware and are not ``grown'' automatically as is
done for the normal stack. If the stack overflows and this space is not protected unpredictable
results may occur.
RETURN VALUES
Upon successful completion, a value of 0 is returned. Otherwise, a value of -1 is returned and errno
is set to indicate the error.
ERRORS
Sigaltstack() will fail and the signal stack context will remain unchanged if one of the following
occurs.
[EFAULT] Either ss or oss points to memory that is not a valid part of the process address space.
[EINVAL] An attempt is made to disable an active stack.
[EINVAL] The ss argument is not a null pointer, and the ss_flags member pointed to by ss contains
flags other than SS_DISABLE.
[ENOMEM] The size of the alternate stack area is less than or equal to MINSIGSTKSZ.
[EPERM] An attempt was made to modify an active stack.
LEGACY SYNOPSIS
#include <sys/types.h>
#include <signal.h>
The include file <sys/types.h> is necessary.
struct sigaltstack {
char *ss_sp;
int ss_size;
int ss_flags;
};
int
sigaltstack(const struct sigaltstack *ss, struct sigaltstack *oss);
The variable types have changed. Specifically, the sigaltstack struct is no longer used.
COMPATIBILITY
Use of the (obsolete) sigaltstack struct will cause compiler diagnostics. Use stack_t, defined in
<signal.h>.
SEE ALSO
sigaction(2), setjmp(3), compat(5)
HISTORY
The predecessor to sigaltstack, the sigstack() system call, appeared in 4.2BSD.
4.2 Berkeley Distribution June 4, 1993 4.2 Berkeley Distribution
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