execve
EXECVE(2) Linux Programmer's Manual EXECVE(2)
NAME
execve - execute program
SYNOPSIS
#include <unistd.h>
int execve(const char *filename, char *const argv [], char *const
envp[]);
DESCRIPTION
execve() executes the program pointed to by filename. filename must be
either a binary executable, or a script starting with a line of the
form "#! interpreter [arg]". In the latter case, the interpreter must
be a valid pathname for an executable which is not itself a script,
which will be invoked as interpreter [arg] filename.
argv is an array of argument strings passed to the new program. envp
is an array of strings, conventionally of the form key=value, which are
passed as environment to the new program. Both, argv and envp must be
terminated by a null pointer. The argument vector and environment can
be accessed by the called program's main function, when it is defined
as int main(int argc, char *argv[], char *envp[]).
execve() does not return on success, and the text, data, bss, and stack
of the calling process are overwritten by that of the program loaded.
The program invoked inherits the calling process's PID, and any open
file descriptors that are not set to close on exec. Signals pending on
the calling process are cleared. Any signals set to be caught by the
calling process are reset to their default behaviour. The SIGCHLD sig-
nal (when set to SIG_IGN) may or may not be reset to SIG_DFL.
If the current program is being ptraced, a SIGTRAP is sent to it after
a successful execve().
If the set-uid bit is set on the program file pointed to by filename
the effective user ID of the calling process is changed to that of the
owner of the program file. Similarly, when the set-gid bit of the pro-
gram file is set the effective group ID of the calling process is set
to the group of the program file.
If the executable is an a.out dynamically-linked binary executable con-
taining shared-library stubs, the Linux dynamic linker ld.so(8) is
called at the start of execution to bring needed shared libraries into
core and link the executable with them.
If the executable is a dynamically-linked ELF executable, the inter-
preter named in the PT_INTERP segment is used to load the needed shared
libraries. This interpreter is typically /lib/ld-linux.so.1 for bina-
ries linked with the Linux libc version 5, or /lib/ld-linux.so.2 for
binaries linked with the GNU libc version 2.
RETURN VALUE
On success, execve() does not return, on error -1 is returned, and
errno is set appropriately.
ERRORS
EACCES The file or a script interpreter is not a regular file.
EACCES Execute permission is denied for the file or a script or ELF
interpreter.
EACCES The file system is mounted noexec.
EPERM The file system is mounted nosuid, the user is not the supe-
ruser, and the file has an SUID or SGID bit set.
EPERM The process is being traced, the user is not the superuser and
the file has an SUID or SGID bit set.
E2BIG The argument list is too big.
ENOEXEC
An executable is not in a recognised format, is for the wrong
architecture, or has some other format error that means it can-
not be executed.
EFAULT filename points outside your accessible address space.
ENAMETOOLONG
filename is too long.
ENOENT The file filename or a script or ELF interpreter does not exist,
or a shared library needed for file or interpreter cannot be
found.
ENOMEM Insufficient kernel memory was available.
ENOTDIR
A component of the path prefix of filename or a script or ELF
interpreter is not a directory.
EACCES Search permission is denied on a component of the path prefix of
filename or the name of a script interpreter.
ELOOP Too many symbolic links were encountered in resolving filename
or the name of a script or ELF interpreter.
ETXTBSY
Executable was open for writing by one or more processes.
EIO An I/O error occurred.
ENFILE The limit on the total number of files open on the system has
been reached.
EMFILE The process has the maximum number of files open.
EINVAL An ELF executable had more than one PT_INTERP segment (i.e.,
tried to name more than one interpreter).
EISDIR An ELF interpreter was a directory.
ELIBBAD
An ELF interpreter was not in a recognised format.
CONFORMING TO
SVr4, SVID, X/OPEN, BSD 4.3. POSIX does not document the #! behavior
but is otherwise compatible. SVr4 documents additional error condi-
tions EAGAIN, EINTR, ELIBACC, ENOLINK, EMULTIHOP; POSIX does not docu-
ment ETXTBSY, EPERM, EFAULT, ELOOP, EIO, ENFILE, EMFILE, EINVAL, EISDIR
or ELIBBAD error conditions.
NOTES
SUID and SGID processes can not be ptrace()d.
Linux ignores the SUID and SGID bits on scripts.
The result of mounting a filesystem nosuid vary between Linux kernel
versions: some will refuse execution of SUID/SGID executables when this
would give the user powers she did not have already (and return EPERM),
some will just ignore the SUID/SGID bits and exec successfully.
A maximum line length of 127 characters is allowed for the first line
in a #! executable shell script.
SEE ALSO
chmod(2), fork(2), execl(3), environ(5), ld.so(8)
Linux 2.0.30 1997-09-03 EXECVE(2)
