SETREUID(2) BSD Programmer's Manual SETREUID(2)NAME
setreuid - set real and effective user IDs
SYNOPSIS
#include <unistd.h>
int
setreuid(uid_t ruid, uid_t euid);
DESCRIPTION
The real and effective user IDs of the current process are set according
to the arguments. If the real user ID is changed, or the effective user
ID is changed to a value other than the real user ID, then the saved user
ID will be set to the effective user ID.
Unprivileged users may change either user ID to the current value of the
real, effective, or saved user ID. Only the superuser may make other
changes.
Supplying a value of -1 for either the real or effective user ID forces
the system to substitute the current ID in place of the -1 parameter.
The setreuid() function was intended to allow swapping the real and ef-
fective user IDs in set-user-ID programs to temporarily relinquish the
set-user-ID value. This purpose is now better served by the use of the
seteuid() function (see setuid(2)).
When setting the real and effective user IDs to the same value, the
setuid() function is preferred.
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
[EPERM] The current process is not the superuser and a change other
than changing the effective user ID to the real user ID was
specified.
SEE ALSOgetuid(2), seteuid(2), setresuid(2), setuid(2)STANDARDS
The setreuid() function conforms to the IEEE Std 1003.1-2001 ("POSIX")
and X/Open Portability Guide Issue 4.3 ("XPG4.3"). specifications.
Note, however, that prior to IEEE Std 1003.1-2001 ("POSIX"), the
setreuid() function was not a part of the IEEE Std 1003.1 ("POSIX")
specification. As a result, it may not be implemented on all systems.
HISTORY
The setreuid() function call appeared in 4.2BSD. A semantically different
version appeared in 4.4BSD. The current version, with the original seman-
tics restored, appeared in OpenBSD 3.3.
CAVEATS
The setreuid() function predates POSIX saved user IDs. This implementa-
tion changes the saved user ID to the new value of the effective user ID
if the real user ID is changed. Other implementations may behave dif-
ferently.
MirOS BSD #10-current January 29, 2003 1