ftok - Linux

Overview

ftok generates a unique key to access a System V IPC facility. It is used to create a consistent key that can be used to identify the same facility from different processes.

Syntax

ftok(pathname, proj_id)

Options/Flags

• pathname: The pathname of the file used to generate the key.
• proj_id: A project identifier that is used to identify the facility.

Examples

• To generate a key for a file named "myfile" with a project identifier of 1:

ftok("myfile", 1)

• To generate a key for a file named "/tmp/myfile" with a project identifier of 2:

ftok("/tmp/myfile", 2)

Common Issues

• If the file specified in pathname does not exist, ftok will return -1.
• If the project identifier is not valid, ftok will return -1.

Integration

ftok can be combined with other IPC commands, such as ipcs and ipcrm, to manage IPC facilities.

Related Commands

• ipcs – List IPC facilities
• ipcrm – Remove IPC facilities