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Command:

cap_from_name

SYNOPSIS

       #include <sys/capability.h>

       cap_t cap_from_text(const char *buf_p);

       char *cap_to_text(cap_t caps, ssize_t *length_p);

       int cap_from_name(const char *name, cap_value_t *cap_p);

       char *cap_to_name(cap_value_t cap);

       Link with -lcap.

DESCRIPTION

       These functions translate a capability state between an internal repre-
       sentation and a textual one.  The internal representation is managed by
       the capability functions in working storage. The textual representation
       is a structured, human-readable string suitable for display.

       cap_from_text() allocates and initializes a capability state in working
       storage. It then sets the contents of  this  newly  created  capability
       state  to  the  state  represented  by a human-readable, nul-terminated
       character string pointed to by buf_p.  It  returns  a  pointer  to  the
       newly  created  capability state.  When the capability state in working
       storage is no longer required, the caller should  free  any  releasable
       memory  by  calling cap_free() with cap_t as an argument.  The function
       returns an error if it cannot parse the contents of the string  pointed
       to by buf_p or does not recognize any capability_name or flag character
       as valid.  The function also returns an error if any flag is  both  set
       and cleared within a single clause.

       cap_to_text()  converts the capability state in working storage identi-
       fied by cap_p into a nul-terminated human-readable string.  This  func-
       tion  allocates any memory necessary to contain the string, and returns
       a pointer to the string.  If the pointer len_p is not NULL,  the  func-
       tion shall also return the full length of the string (not including the
       nul terminator) in the location pointed to by  len_p.   The  capability
       state  in  working  storage,  identified by cap_p, is completely repre-
       sented in the character string.  When the capability state  in  working
       storage  is  no  longer required, the caller should free any releasable
       memory by calling cap_free() with the returned  string  pointer  as  an
       argument.

       cap_from_name() converts a text representation of a capability, such as
       "cap_chown", to its numerical representation (CAP_CHOWN=0), writing the
       decoded  value into *cap_p.  If cap_p is NULL no result is written, but
       the return code of the function indicates whether or not the  specified
       capability can be represented by the library.

       cap_to_name() converts a capability index value, cap, to a libcap-allo-
       cated  textual  string.  This  string  should   be   deallocated   with
       respectively.

       In the capability name lists, all names are case-insensitive.  The spe-
       cial  name 'all' specifies all capabilities; it is equivalent to a list
       naming every capability individually.

       Unnamed capabilities can also be  specified  by  number.  This  feature
       ensures that libcap can support capabilities that were not allocated at
       the time libcap was compiled. However, generally upgrading libcap  will
       add names for recently allocated capabilities.

       The '=' operator indicates that the listed capabilities are first reset
       in all three capability sets.  The subsequent flags (which are optional
       when  associated with this operator) indicate that the listed capabili-
       ties for the corresponding set are to be raised.  For example:  "all=p"
       means  lower every capability in the Effective and Inheritable sets but
       raise all of the  Permitted  capabilities;  or,  "cap_fowner=ep"  means
       raise  the  Effective and Permitted override-file-ownership capability,
       while lowering this Inheritable capability.

       In the case that the leading operator is '=', and no list of  capabili-
       ties is provided, the action-list is assumed to refer to 'all' capabil-
       ities.  For example, the following three clauses are equivalent to each
       other  (and  indicate  a completely empty capability set): "all="; "=";
       "cap_chown,<every-other-capability>=".

       The operators, '+' and '-' both require an explicit preceding  capabil-
       ity  list  and  one  or more explicit trailing flags.  The '+' operator
       will raise all of the listed capabilities  in  the  flagged  capability
       sets.   The  '-'  operator will lower all of the listed capabilities in
       the flagged capability sets.  For example: "all+p" will  raise  all  of
       the  Permitted  capabilities; "cap_fowner+p-i" will raise the override-
       file-ownership capability in the Permitted  capability  set  and  lower
       this Inheritable capability; "cap_fowner+pe-i" and "cap_fowner=+pe" are
       equivalent.

RETURN VALUE

       cap_from_text(), cap_to_text()  and  cap_to_name()  return  a  non-NULL
       value  on  success, and NULL on failure.  cap_from_name() returns 0 for
       success, and -1 on failure (unknown capability).

       On failure, errno is set to EINVAL, or ENOMEM.

CONFORMING TO

       cap_from_text()  and  cap_to_text()  are  specified  by  the  withdrawn
       POSIX.1e  draft  specification.   cap_from_name() and cap_to_name() are
       Linux extensions.

EXAMPLE

       The example program below demonstrates the use of  cap_from_text()  and
       cap_to_text().  The following shell session shows a some example runs:

       int
       main(int argc, char *argv[])
       {
           cap_t caps;
           char *txt_caps;

           if (argc != 2) {
               fprintf(stderr, "%s <textual-cap-set>\n", argv[0]);
               exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
           }

           caps = cap_from_text(argv[1]);
           if (caps == NULL)
               handle_error("cap_from_text");

           txt_caps = cap_to_text(caps, NULL);
           if (txt_caps == NULL)
               handle_error("cap_to_text");

           printf("caps_to_text() returned \"%s\"\n", txt_caps);

           if (cap_free(txt_caps) != 0 || cap_free(caps) != 0)
               handle_error("cap_free");

           exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);
       }

SEE ALSO

       libcap(3),      cap_clear(3),      cap_compare(3),     cap_copy_ext(3),
       cap_get_file(3), cap_get_proc(3), cap_init(3), capabilities(7)

                                  2008-05-10                  CAP_FROM_TEXT(3)