---
name: "attr_get"
section: "3"
platform: "linux"
package: "attr"
version: "2.6.0-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux", "freebsd"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/attr_get"
---

# attr\_get(3)

get the value of a user attribute of a filesystem object

## NAME

attr\_get, attr\_getf - get the value of a user attribute of a filesystem object

## C SYNOPSIS

```
#include <attr/attributes.h>

int attr_get (const char *path, const char *attrname,
              char *attrvalue, int *valuelength, int flags);
```

**int attr\_getf (int *fd*, const char \**attrname*,**                 **char \**attrvalue*, int \**valuelength*, int *flags*);**

## DESCRIPTION

The **attr\_get** and **attr\_getf** functions provide a way to retrieve the value of an attribute.

*Path* points to a path name for a filesystem object, and *fd* refers to the file descriptor associated with a file. If the attribute *attrname* exists, the value associated with it will be copied into the *attrvalue* buffer. The *valuelength* argument is an input/output argument that on the call to **attr\_get** should contain the maximum size of attribute value the process is willing to accept. On return, the *valuelength* will have been modified to show the actual size of the attribute value returned. The *flags* argument can contain the following symbols bitwise OR'ed together:

- ATTR\_ROOT

  Look for *attrname* in the **root** address space, not in the **user** address space. (limited to use by super-user only)

- ATTR\_DONTFOLLOW

  Do not follow symbolic links when resolving a *path* on an **attr\_get** function call. The default is to follow symbolic links.

**attr\_get** will fail if one or more of the following are true:

- \[ENOATTR\]

  The attribute name given is not associated with the indicated filesystem object.

- \[E2BIG\]

  The value of the given attribute is too large to fit into the buffer. The integer that the *valuelength* argument points to has been modified to show the actual number of bytes that would be required to store the value of that attribute.

- \[ENOENT\]

  The named file does not exist.

- \[EPERM\]

  The effective user ID does not match the owner of the file and the effective user ID is not super-user.

- \[ENOTDIR\]

  A component of the path prefix is not a directory.

- \[EACCES\]

  Search permission is denied on a component of the path prefix.

- \[EINVAL\]

  A bit was set in the *flag* argument that is not defined for this system call.

- \[EFAULT\]

  *Path,* *attrname,* *attrvalue,* or *valuelength* points outside the allocated address space of the process.

- \[ELOOP\]

  A path name lookup involved too many symbolic links.

- \[ENAMETOOLONG\]

  The length of *path* exceeds {*MAXPATHLEN*}, or a pathname component is longer than {*MAXNAMELEN*}.

**attr\_getf** will fail if:

- \[ENOATTR\]

  The attribute name given is not associated with the indicated filesystem object.

- \[E2BIG\]

  The value of the given attribute is too large to fit into the buffer. The integer that the *valuelength* argument points to has been modified to show the actual number of bytes that would be required to store the value of that attribute.

- \[EINVAL\]

  A bit was set in the *flag* argument that is not defined for this system call, or *fd* refers to a socket, not a file.

- \[EFAULT\]

  *Attrname,* *attrvalue,* or *valuelength* points outside the allocated address space of the process.

- \[EBADF\]

  *Fd* does not refer to a valid descriptor.

## DIAGNOSTICS

On success, zero is returned.  On error, -1 is returned, and *errno* is set appropriately.

## SEE ALSO

[**attr**(1)](/attr/1.md), [**attr\_list**(3)](/attr_list/3.md), [**attr\_multi**(3)](/attr_multi/3.md), [**attr\_remove**(3)](/attr_remove/3.md), [**attr\_set**(3)](/attr_set/3.md)