---
name: "gss_delete_sec_context"
section: "3"
platform: "linux"
package: "gss-man"
version: "1.0.4-4"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/gss_delete_sec_context"
---

# gss\_delete\_sec\_context(3)

API function

## NAME

gss\_delete\_sec\_context - API function

## SYNOPSIS

**#include \<gss.h\>**

**OM\_uint32 gss\_delete\_sec\_context(OM\_uint32 \*** *minor\_status***, gss\_ctx\_id\_t \*** *context\_handle***, gss\_buffer\_t** *output\_token***);**

## ARGUMENTS

- OM\_uint32 \* minor\_status

  (Integer, modify) Mechanism specific status code.

- gss\_ctx\_id\_t \* context\_handle

  (gss\_ctx\_id\_t, modify) Context handle identifying\
     context to delete.  After deleting the context, the GSS-API will\
     set this context handle to GSS\_C\_NO\_CONTEXT.

- gss\_buffer\_t output\_token

  (buffer, opaque, modify, optional) Token to be sent\
     to remote application to instruct it to also delete the context.\
     It is recommended that applications specify GSS\_C\_NO\_BUFFER for\
     this parameter, requesting local deletion only.  If a buffer\
     parameter is provided by the application, the mechanism may\
     return a token in it; mechanisms that implement only local\
     deletion should set the length field of this token to zero to\
     indicate to the application that no token is to be sent to the\
     peer.

## DESCRIPTION

Delete a security context.  gss\_delete\_sec\_context will delete the local data structures associated with the specified security context, and may generate an output\_token, which when passed to the peer gss\_process\_context\_token will instruct it to do likewise.  If no token is required by the mechanism, the GSS-API should set the length field of the output\_token (if provided) to zero.  No further security services may be obtained using the context specified by context\_handle.

In addition to deleting established security contexts, gss\_delete\_sec\_context must also be able to delete "half-built" security contexts resulting from an incomplete sequence of **gss\_init\_sec\_context()**/**gss\_accept\_sec\_context()** calls.

The output\_token parameter is retained for compatibility with version 1 of the GSS-API.  It is recommended that both peer applications invoke gss\_delete\_sec\_context passing the value GSS\_C\_NO\_BUFFER for the output\_token parameter, indicating that no token is required, and that gss\_delete\_sec\_context should simply delete local context data structures.  If the application does pass a valid buffer to gss\_delete\_sec\_context, mechanisms are encouraged to return a zero-length token, indicating that no peer action is necessary, and that no token should be transferred by the application.

## RETURN VALUE

\`GSS\_S\_COMPLETE\`: Successful completion.

\`GSS\_S\_NO\_CONTEXT\`: No valid context was supplied.

## REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs to \<bug-gss@gnu.org\>. GNU Generic Security Service home page: http://www.gnu.org/software/gss/ General help using GNU software: http://www.gnu.org/gethelp/

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2003-2022 Simon Josefsson.\
 Copying and distribution of this file, with or without modification, are permitted in any medium without royalty provided the copyright notice and this notice are preserved.

## SEE ALSO

The full documentation for **gss** is maintained as a Texinfo manual.  If the **info** and **gss** programs are properly installed at your site, the command

-

  **info gss**

should give you access to the complete manual.