---
name: "euidaccess"
section: "3"
platform: "linux"
package: "man-pages"
version: "6.19-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/euidaccess"
---

# euidaccess(3)

check effective user's permissions for a file

## NAME

euidaccess, eaccess - check effective user's permissions for a file

## LIBRARY

Standard C library (*libc*, *-lc*)

## SYNOPSIS

```
#define _GNU_SOURCE             /* See feature_test_macros(7) */
#include <unistd.h>
```

**int euidaccess(const char \****path***, int** *mode***);** **int eaccess(const char \****path***, int** *mode***);**

## DESCRIPTION

Like [**access**(2)](/access/2.md), **euidaccess**() checks permissions and existence of the file identified by its argument *path*. However, whereas [**access**(2)](/access/2.md) performs checks using the real user and group identifiers of the process, **euidaccess**() uses the effective identifiers.

*mode* is a mask consisting of one or more of **R\_OK**, **W\_OK**, **X\_OK**, and **F\_OK**, with the same meanings as for [**access**(2)](/access/2.md).

**eaccess**() is a synonym for **euidaccess**(), provided for compatibility with some other systems.

## RETURN VALUE

On success (all requested permissions granted), zero is returned. On error (at least one bit in *mode* asked for a permission that is denied, or some other error occurred), -1 is returned, and *errno* is set to indicate the error.

## ERRORS

As for [**access**(2)](/access/2.md).

## ATTRIBUTES

For an explanation of the terms used in this section, see [**attributes**(7)](/attributes/7.md).

| | | |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Interface** | **Attribute** | **Value** |
| **euidaccess**(), **eaccess**() | Thread safety | MT-Safe |

## VERSIONS

Some other systems have an **eaccess**() function.

## STANDARDS

None.

## HISTORY

- **eaccess**()

  glibc 2.4.

## NOTES

*Warning*: Using this function to check a process's permissions on a file before performing some operation based on that information leads to race conditions: the file permissions may change between the two steps. Generally, it is safer just to attempt the desired operation and handle any permission error that occurs.

This function always dereferences symbolic links. If you need to check the permissions on a symbolic link, use [**faccessat**(2)](/faccessat/2.md) with the flags **AT\_EACCESS** and **AT\_SYMLINK\_NOFOLLOW**.

## SEE ALSO

[**access**(2)](/access/2.md), [**chmod**(2)](/chmod/2.md), [**chown**(2)](/chown/2.md), [**faccessat**(2)](/faccessat/2.md), [**open**(2)](/open/2.md), [**setgid**(2)](/setgid/2.md), [**setuid**(2)](/setuid/2.md), [**stat**(2)](/stat/2.md), [**credentials**(7)](/credentials/7.md), [**path\_resolution**(7)](/path_resolution/7.md)