2.11BSD#431 - /usr/man/cat2/brk.0

BRK(2)		    UNIX Programmer's Manual		   BRK(2)


NAME
     brk, sbrk - change data segment size

SYNOPSIS
     #include <sys/types.h>

     char *brk(addr)
     char *addr;

     char *sbrk(incr)
     int incr;

DESCRIPTION
     Brk sets the system's idea of the lowest data segment loca-
     tion not used by the program (called the break) to addr
     (rounded up to the next multiple of the system's page size).
     Locations greater than addr and below the stack pointer are
     not in the address space and will thus cause a memory viola-
     tion if accessed.

     In the alternate function sbrk, incr more bytes are added to
     the program's data space and a pointer to the start of the
     new area is returned.

     When a program begins execution via execve the break is set
     at the highest location defined by the program and data
     storage areas.  Ordinarily, therefore, only programs with
     growing data areas need to use sbrk.

     The getrlimit(2) system call may be used to determine the
     maximum permissible size of the data segment; it will not be
     possible to set the break beyond the rlim_max value returned
     from a call to getrlimit, e.g. "etext + rlp->rlim_max." (see
     end(3) for the definition of etext).

RETURN VALUE
     Zero is returned if the brk could be set; -1 if the program
     requests more memory than the system limit.  Sbrk returns -1
     if the break could not be set.

ERRORS
     Sbrk will fail and no additional memory will be allocated if
     one of the following are true:

     [ENOMEM]	    The limit, as set by setrlimit(2), was
		    exceeded.

     [ENOMEM]	    The maximum possible size of a data segment
		    (compiled into the system) was exceeded.

     [ENOMEM]	    Insufficient space existed in the swap area
		    to support the expansion.


Printed 11/26/99	  May 22, 1986				1


BRK(2)		    UNIX Programmer's Manual		   BRK(2)


SEE ALSO
     execve(2), getrlimit(2), malloc(3), end(3)

BUGS
     Setting the break may fail due to a temporary lack of swap
     space.  It is not possible to distinguish this from a
     failure caused by exceeding the maximum size of the data
     segment without consulting getrlimit.


Printed 11/26/99	  May 22, 1986				2