--- name: "ioctl_xfs_fsgetxattr" section: "2" platform: "linux" package: "xfsprogs" version: "7.2.1-1" release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01" platforms: ["linux"] url: "https://new.carta.tech/ioctl_xfs_fsgetxattr" --- # ioctl\_xfs\_fsgetxattr(2) query information for an open file ## NAME ioctl\_xfs\_fsgetxattr - query information for an open file ## SYNOPSIS **#include \** **int ioctl(int** *fd***, XFS\_IOC\_FSGETXATTR, struct fsxattr \****arg***);**\ **int ioctl(int** *fd***, XFS\_IOC\_FSGETXATTRA, struct fsxattr \****arg***);**\ **int ioctl(int** *fd***, XFS\_IOC\_FSSETXATTR, struct fsxattr \****arg***);** ## DESCRIPTION Query or set additional attributes associated with files in various file systems. The attributes are conveyed in a structure of the form: ``` struct fsxattr { __u32 fsx_xflags; __u32 fsx_extsize; __u32 fsx_nextents; __u32 fsx_projid; __u32 fsx_cowextsize; unsigned char fsx_pad[8]; }; ``` *fsx\_xflags* are extended flags that apply to this file. Refer to the section **XFS INODE FLAGS** below for more information. *fsx\_extsize* is the preferred extent allocation size for data blocks mapped to this file, in units of bytes. If this value is zero, the filesystem will choose a default option, which is currently zero. If **XFS\_IOC\_FSSETXATTR** is called with **XFS\_XFLAG\_EXTSIZE** set in *fsx\_xflags* and this field set to zero, the XFLAG will also be cleared. *fsx\_nextents* is the number of data extents in this file. If **XFS\_IOC\_FSGETXATTRA** was used, then this is the number of extended attribute extents in the file. *fsx\_projid* is the project ID of this file. *fsx\_cowextsize* is the preferred extent allocation size for copy on write operations targeting this file, in units of bytes. If this field is zero, the filesystem will choose a default option, which is currently 32 filesystem blocks. If **XFS\_IOC\_FSSETXATTR** is called with **XFS\_XFLAG\_COWEXTSIZE** set in *fsx\_xflags* and this field set to zero, the XFLAG will also be cleared. *fsx\_pad* must be zeroed. ## XFS INODE FLAGS This field can be a combination of the following: - **XFS\_XFLAG\_REALTIME** The file is a realtime file. This bit can only be changed on a file when it has no allocated extents. - **XFS\_XFLAG\_PREALLOC** The file has preallocated space. - **XFS\_XFLAG\_IMMUTABLE** The file is immutable - it cannot be modified, deleted or renamed, no link can be created to this file and no data can be written to the file. Only the superuser or a process possessing the CAP\_LINUX\_IMMUTABLE capability can set or clear this flag. If this flag is set before a **XFS\_IOC\_FSSETXATTR** call and would not be cleared by the call, then no other attributes can be changed and **EPERM** will be returned. - **XFS\_XFLAG\_APPEND** The file is append-only - it can only be opened in append mode for writing. For directories, this means that files cannot be unlinked from this directory. Only the superuser or a process possessing the CAP\_LINUX\_IMMUTABLE capability can set or clear this flag. - **XFS\_XFLAG\_SYNC** All writes to the file are synchronous. If set on a directory and the **/proc/sys/fs/xfs/inherit\_sync** tunable is set to 1, new files and subdirectories created in the directory will also have the flag set. - **XFS\_XFLAG\_NOATIME** When the file is accessed, its atime record is not modified. If set on a directory and the **/proc/sys/fs/xfs/inherit\_noatime** tunable is set to 1, new files and subdirectories created in the directory will also have the flag set. - **XFS\_XFLAG\_NODUMP** The file should be skipped by backup utilities. If set on a directory and the **/proc/sys/fs/xfs/inherit\_nodump** tunable is set to 1, new files and subdirectories created in the directory will also have the flag set. - **XFS\_XFLAG\_RTINHERIT** Realtime inheritance bit - new files created in the directory will be automatically created as realtime files. If set on a directory, new subdirectories created in the directory will also have the inheritance flag set. - **XFS\_XFLAG\_PROJINHERIT** Project inheritance bit - new files and directories created in this directory will inherit the project ID of this directory. If set on a directory, new subdirectories created in the directory will also have the inheritance flag set. - **XFS\_XFLAG\_NOSYMLINKS** Disallows creation of symbolic links in the directory. This flag can only be set on a directory. If set on a directory and the **/proc/sys/fs/xfs/inherit\_nosymlinks** tunable is set to 1, new files and subdirectories created in the directory will also have the flag set. - **XFS\_XFLAG\_EXTSIZE** Extent size bit - if a basic extent size value is set on the file then the allocator will allocate in multiples of the set size for this file (see **fsx\_extsize** below). The extent size can only be changed on a file when it has no allocated extents. - **XFS\_XFLAG\_EXTSZINHERIT** Extent size inheritance bit - new files and directories created in the directory will inherit the extent size value (see **fsx\_extsize** below) of the parent directory. New subdirectories created in the directory will inherit the extent size inheritance bit. - **XFS\_XFLAG\_NODEFRAG** No defragment file bit - the file should be skipped during a defragmentation operation. If set on a directory and the **/proc/sys/fs/xfs/inherit\_nodefrag** tunable is set to 1, new files and subdirectories created in the directory will also have the flag set. - **XFS\_XFLAG\_FILESTREAM** Filestream allocator bit - allows a directory to reserve an allocation group for exclusive use by files created within that directory. Files being written in other directories will not use the same allocation group and so files within different directories will not interleave extents on disk. The reservation is only active while files are being created and written into the directory. If set on a directory, new files and subdirectories created in the directory will also have the flag set. - **XFS\_XFLAG\_DAX** If the filesystem lives on directly accessible persistent memory, reads and writes to this file will go straight to the persistent memory, bypassing the page cache. If set on a directory, new files and subdirectories created in the directory will also have the flag set. This flag cannot be set on filesystems which have the reflink feature enabled. - **XFS\_XFLAG\_COWEXTSIZE** Copy on Write Extent size bit - if a CoW extent size value is set on the file, the allocator will allocate extents for staging a copy on write operation in multiples of the set size for this file (see **fsx\_cowextsize** below). If set on a directory, new files and subdirectories created in the directory will have both the flag and the CoW extent size value set. - **XFS\_XFLAG\_HASATTR** The file has extended attributes associated with it. ## RETURN VALUE On error, -1 is returned, and *errno* is set to indicate the error. ## ERRORS Error codes can be one of, but are not limited to, the following: - **EACCESS** Caller does not have sufficient access to change the attributes. - **EFAULT** The kernel was not able to copy into the userspace buffer. - **EFSBADCRC** Metadata checksum validation failed while performing the query. - **EFSCORRUPTED** Metadata corruption was encountered while performing the query. - **EINVAL** One of the arguments was not valid. - **EIO** An I/O error was encountered while performing the query. - **ENOMEM** There was insufficient memory to perform the query. - **EPERM** Caller did not have permission to change the attributes. ## CONFORMING TO This API is implemented by the ext4, xfs, btrfs, and f2fs filesystems on the Linux kernel. Not all fields may be understood by filesystems other than xfs. ## CAVEATS The **XFS\_IOC\_FSGETXATTR** and **XFS\_IOC\_FSSETXATTR** [**ioctl**(2)](/ioctl/2.md) operations require the user to open the file, but this may not be possible or lead to side effects on special files such as FIFOs, sockets, block devices, character devices, and symlinks. For a pathname-based interface see the **file\_getattr**(2) and **file\_setattr**(2) syscalls. ## SEE ALSO [**ioctl**(2)](/ioctl/2.md), [**ioctl\_iflags**(2)](/ioctl_iflags/2.md), **file\_getattr**(2), **file\_setattr**(2)