IPC

Section: Linux Programmer's Manual (2)
Updated: 2007-06-28
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NAME

ipc - System V IPC system calls

SYNOPSIS

int ipc(unsigned int call, int first, int second, int third,
        void *ptr, long fifth);

DESCRIPTION

ipc() is a common kernel entry point for the System V IPC calls for messages, semaphores, and shared memory. call determines which IPC function to invoke; the other arguments are passed through to the appropriate call.

User programs should call the appropriate functions by their usual names. Only standard library implementors and kernel hackers need to know about ipc().

CONFORMING TO

ipc() is Linux-specific, and should not be used in programs intended to be portable.

NOTES

On a few architectures, for example ia64, there is no ipc() system call; instead msgctl(2), semctl(2), shmctl(2), and so on really are implemented as separate system calls.

COLOPHON

This page is part of release 3.05 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/.