posix_openpt(3)

NAME
posix_openpt - open a pseudoterminal device

LIBRARY
Standard C library (libc, -lc)

SYNOPSIS
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <fcntl.h>

int posix_openpt(int flags);

    Feature Test Macro Requirements for glibc (see feature_test_macros(7)):

posix_openpt():
    _XOPEN_SOURCE >= 600

DESCRIPTION
The posix_openpt() function opens an unused pseudoterminal master device, returning a file descriptor that can be used to refer to that device.

The flags argument is a bit mask that ORs together zero or more of the following flags:

O_RDWR
    Open the device for both reading and writing. It is usual to specify this flag.

O_NOCTTY
    Do not make this device the controlling terminal for the process.

RETURN VALUE
On success, posix_openpt() returns a file descriptor (a nonnegative integer) which is the lowest numbered unused file descriptor. On failure, -1 is returned, and errno is set to indicate the error.

ERRORS
See open(2).

ATTRIBUTES
For an explanation of the terms used in this section, see attributes(7).
Interface | Attribute | Value
 | Thread safety | MT-Safe

STANDARDS
POSIX.1-2008.

HISTORY
glibc 2.2.1. POSIX.1-2001.

It is part of the UNIX 98 pseudoterminal support (see pts(4)).

NOTES
Some older UNIX implementations that support System V (aka UNIX 98) pseudoterminals don't have this function, but it can be easily implemented by opening the pseudoterminal multiplexer device:

    int
    posix_openpt(int flags)
    {
        return open("/dev/ptmx", flags);
    }

Calling posix_openpt() creates a pathname for the corresponding pseudoterminal slave device. The pathname of the slave device can be obtained using ptsname(3). The slave device pathname exists only as long as the master device is open.

SEE ALSO
open(2), getpt(3), grantpt(3), ptsname(3), unlockpt(3), pts(4), pty(7)