CHDIR(2)

NAME
chdir, fchdir - change current working directory

SYNOPSIS
#include <unistd.h>
int
chdir(const char *path);
int
fchdir(int fd);

DESCRIPTION
The path argument points to the pathname of a directory. The chdir() function causes the named directory to become the current working directory, that is, the starting point for path searches of pathnames not beginning with a slash (‘/’).

The fchdir() function causes the directory referenced by fd to become the current working directory, the starting point for path searches of pathnames not beginning with a slash (‘/’).

In order for a directory to become the current directory, a process must have execute (search) access to the directory.

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
chdir() will fail and the current working directory will be unchanged if one or more of the following are true:

[ENOTDIR]
    A component of the path prefix is not a directory.

[ENAMETOOLONG]
    A component of a pathname exceeded {NAME_MAX} characters, or an entire path name exceeded {PATH_MAX} characters.

[ENOENT]
    The named directory does not exist.

[ELOOP]
    Too many symbolic links were encountered in translating the pathname.

[EACCES]
    Search permission is denied for any component of the pathname.

[EFAULT]
    path points outside the process's allocated address space.

[EIO]
    An I/O error occurred while reading from the file system.

fchdir() will fail and the current working directory will be unchanged if one or more of the following are true:

[EACCES]
    Search permission is denied for the directory referenced by the file descriptor.

[ENOTDIR]
    The file descriptor does not reference a directory.

[EBADF]
    The argument fd is not a valid file descriptor.

[EIO]
    An I/O error occurred while reading from the file system.

SEE ALSO
chroot(2)

STANDARDS
The chdir() and fchdir() functions are expected to conform to p1003.1-2008.

HISTORY
The chdir() system call first appeared in AT&T UNIX, and fchdir() in 4.3BSD Reno.