---
name: "VOP_READDIR"
section: "9"
platform: "linux"
package: "freebsd-manpages"
version: "6.0-5"
release: "Debian 4.0 (Etch)"
platforms: ["linux", "freebsd"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/VOP_READDIR"
---

# VOP\_READDIR(9)

read contents of a directory

## NAME

**VOP\_READDIR** – read contents of a directory

## SYNOPSIS

**#include \<sys/param.h\>**

**#include \<sys/dirent.h\>**

**#include \<sys/vnode.h\>**

*int*\

**VOP\_READDIR**(*struct vnode \*vp*, *struct uio \*uio*, *struct ucred \*cred*, *int \*eofflag*, *int \*ncookies*, *u\_long \*\*cookies*);

## DESCRIPTION

Read directory entries.

- *vp*

  The vnode of the directory.

- *uio*

  Where to read the directory contents.

- *cred*

  The caller's credentials.

- *eofflag*

  Return end of file status (NULL if not wanted).

- *ncookies*

  Number of directory cookies generated for NFS (NULL if not wanted).

- *cookies*

  Directory seek cookies generated for NFS (NULL if not wanted).

The directory contents are read into *struct* *dirent* structures. If the on-disc data structures differ from this then they should be translated.

## LOCKS

The directory should be locked on entry and will still be locked on exit.

## RETURN VALUES

Zero is returned on success, otherwise an error code is returned.

If this is called from the NFS server, the extra arguments *eofflag*, *ncookies* and *cookies* are given. The value of *\*eofflag* should be set to TRUE if the end of the directory is reached while reading. The directory seek cookies are returned to the NFS client and may be used later to restart a directory read part way through the directory. There should be one cookie returned per directory entry. The value of the cookie should be the offset within the directory where the on-disc version of the appropriate directory entry starts. Memory for the cookies should be allocated using:

```
	...;
	*ncookies = number of entries read;
	*cookies = (u_int*)#
		malloc(*ncookies * sizeof(u_int), M_TEMP, M_WAITOK);
```

## PSEUDOCODE

```
int
vop_readdir(struct vnode *vp, struct uio *uio, struct ucred *cred,
	    int *eofflag, int *ncookies, u_int **cookies)
{
    off_t off;
    int error = 0;
    /*
     * Remember the original offset to use later in generating cookies.
     */
    off = uio->uio_offset;
    /*
     * Read directory contents starting at uio->uio_offset into buffer
     * pointed to by uio.
     */
    ...;
    if (!error && ncookies != NULL) {
	struct dirent *dpStart;
	struct dirent *dpEnd;
	struct dirent *dp;
	int count;
	u_int *cookiebuf;
	u_int *cookiep;
	if (uio->uio_segflg != UIO_SYSSPACE || uio->uio_iovcnt != 1)
	    panic("vop_readdir: unexpected uio from NFS server");
	/*
	 * Parse the stuff just read into the uio.
	 */
	dpStart = (struct dirent *)
	    ((char *)uio->uio_iov->iov_base - (uio->uio_offset - off));
	dpEnd = (struct dirent *) uio->uio_iov->iov_base;
	/*
	 * Count number of entries.
	 */
	for (dp = dpStart, count = 0;
	     dp < dpEnd;
	     dp = (struct dirent *)((caddr_t) dp + dp->d_reclen))
	    count++;
	cookiebuf = (u_int *) malloc(count * sizeof(u_int), M_TEMP, M_WAITOK);
	for (dp = dpStart; cookiep = cookiebuf;
	     dp < dpEnd;
	     dp = (struct dirent *)((caddr_t) dp + dp->d_reclen)) {
	    off += dp->d_reclen;
	    *cookiep++ = (u_int) off;
	}
	*ncookies = count;
	*cookies = cookiebuf;
    }
    if (eofflag && uio->uio_offset is past the end of the directory) {
	*eofflag = TRUE;
    }
    return error;
}
```

## ERRORS

- \[EINVAL\]

  An attempt was made to read from an illegal offset in the directory.

- \[EIO\]

  A read error occurred while reading the directory.

## SEE ALSO

[vnode(9)](/vnode/9.md)

## AUTHORS

This manual page was written by Doug Rabson.