getcontext(2)getcontext(2)NAME
getcontext, setcontext - get and set current user context
SYNOPSIS
#include <ucontext.h>
int getcontext(ucontext_t *ucp);
int setcontext(ucontext_t *ucp);
DESCRIPTION
These functions, along with those defined in makecontext(3C), are useful
for implementing user level context switching between multiple threads of
control within a process.
getcontext initializes the structure pointed to by ucp to the current
user context of the calling process. The user context is defined by
ucontext(5) and includes the contents of the calling process's machine
registers, signal mask and execution stack.
setcontext restores the user context pointed to by ucp. The call to
setcontext does not return; program execution resumes at the point
specified by the context structure passed to setcontext. The context
structure should have been one created either by a prior call to
getcontext or makecontext or passed as the third argument to a signal
handler [see sigaction(2)]. If the context structure was one created
with getcontext, program execution continues as if the corresponding call
of getcontext had just returned. If the context structure was one
created with makecontext, program execution continues with the function
specified to makecontext.
NOTES
When a signal handler is executed, the current user context is saved and
a new context is created by the kernel. If the process leaves the signal
handler via longjmp(3C) the original context will not be restored, and
future calls to getcontext will not be reliable. Signal handlers should
use siglongjmp(3C) or setcontext instead.
DIAGNOSTICS
On successful completion, setcontext does not return and getcontext
returns 0. Otherwise, a value of -1 is returned and errno is set to
indicate the error.
SEE ALSOsigaction(2), sigaltstack(2), sigprocmask(2), makecontext(3C),
ucontext(5).
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