---
name: "nbd_get_meta_context"
section: "3"
platform: "linux"
package: "libnbd"
version: "1.24.4-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/nbd_get_meta_context"
---

# nbd\_get\_meta\_context(3)

return the i'th meta context request

## NAME

nbd\_get\_meta\_context - return the i'th meta context request

## SYNOPSIS

```
 #include <libnbd.h>
 char * nbd_get_meta_context (
          struct nbd_handle *h, size_t i
        );
```

## DESCRIPTION

During connection libnbd can negotiate zero or more metadata contexts with the server.  Metadata contexts are features (such as `"base:allocation"`) which describe information returned by the [**nbd\_block\_status\_64**(3)](/nbd_block_status_64/3.md) command (for `"base:allocation"` this is whether blocks of data are allocated, zero or sparse).

This command returns the i'th meta context request, as added by [**nbd\_add\_meta\_context**(3)](/nbd_add_meta_context/3.md), and bounded by [**nbd\_get\_nr\_meta\_contexts**(3)](/nbd_get_nr_meta_contexts/3.md).

## RETURN VALUE

This call returns a string.  The caller must free the returned string to avoid a memory leak.

## ERRORS

On error `"NULL"` is returned.

Refer to "ERROR HANDLING" in [**libnbd**(3)](/libnbd/3.md) for how to get further details of the error.

The following parameters must not be NULL: `"h"`. For more information see "Non-NULL parameters" in [**libnbd**(3)](/libnbd/3.md).

## VERSION

This function first appeared in libnbd 1.6.

If you need to test if this function is available at compile time check if the following macro is defined:

```
 #define LIBNBD_HAVE_NBD_GET_META_CONTEXT 1
```

## SEE ALSO

[**nbd\_add\_meta\_context**(3)](/nbd_add_meta_context/3.md), [**nbd\_block\_status\_64**(3)](/nbd_block_status_64/3.md), [**nbd\_can\_meta\_context**(3)](/nbd_can_meta_context/3.md), [**nbd\_clear\_meta\_contexts**(3)](/nbd_clear_meta_contexts/3.md), [**nbd\_create**(3)](/nbd_create/3.md), [**nbd\_get\_nr\_meta\_contexts**(3)](/nbd_get_nr_meta_contexts/3.md), [**libnbd**(3)](/libnbd/3.md).

## AUTHORS

Eric Blake

Richard W.M. Jones

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright Red Hat

## LICENSE

This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU Lesser General Public License for more details.

You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License along with this library; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA