---
name: "pthread_attr_setstack"
section: "3"
platform: "freebsd"
package: "base"
version: "16.0-CURRENT-20261027-61c70dc16a79"
release: "FreeBSD 16.0-CURRENT (2026-10-27)"
platforms: ["linux", "freebsd"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/pthread_attr"
---

# pthread\_attr\_setstack(3)

thread attribute operations

Part of [pthread\_attr(3)](/pthread_attr/3.md).

## NAME

**pthread\_attr\_init**, **pthread\_attr\_destroy**, **pthread\_attr\_setstack**, **pthread\_attr\_getstack**, **pthread\_attr\_setstacksize**, **pthread\_attr\_getstacksize**, **pthread\_attr\_setguardsize**, **pthread\_attr\_getguardsize**, **pthread\_attr\_setstackaddr**, **pthread\_attr\_getstackaddr**, **pthread\_attr\_setdetachstate**, **pthread\_attr\_getdetachstate**, **pthread\_attr\_setinheritsched**, **pthread\_attr\_getinheritsched**, **pthread\_attr\_setschedparam**, **pthread\_attr\_getschedparam**, **pthread\_attr\_setschedpolicy**, **pthread\_attr\_getschedpolicy**, **pthread\_attr\_setscope**, **pthread\_attr\_getscope** – thread attribute operations

## LIBRARY

POSIX Threads Library (libpthread, -lpthread)

## SYNOPSIS

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

*int*\

**pthread\_attr\_init**(*pthread\_attr\_t \*attr*);

*int*\

**pthread\_attr\_destroy**(*pthread\_attr\_t \*attr*);

*int*\

**pthread\_attr\_setstack**(*pthread\_attr\_t \*attr*,  *void \*stackaddr*, *size\_t stacksize*);

*int*\

**pthread\_attr\_getstack**(*const pthread\_attr\_t \* restrict attr*, *void \*\* restrict stackaddr*, *size\_t \* restrict stacksize*);

*int*\

**pthread\_attr\_setstacksize**(*pthread\_attr\_t \*attr*, *size\_t stacksize*);

*int*\

**pthread\_attr\_getstacksize**(*const pthread\_attr\_t \*restrict attr*, *size\_t \*restrict stacksize*);

*int*\

**pthread\_attr\_setguardsize**(*pthread\_attr\_t \*attr*, *size\_t guardsize*);

*int*\

**pthread\_attr\_getguardsize**(*const pthread\_attr\_t \* restrict attr*, *size\_t \* restrict guardsize*);

*int*\

**pthread\_attr\_setstackaddr**(*pthread\_attr\_t \*attr*, *void \*stackaddr*);

*int*\

**pthread\_attr\_getstackaddr**(*const pthread\_attr\_t \*attr*, *void \*\*stackaddr*);

*int*\

**pthread\_attr\_setdetachstate**(*pthread\_attr\_t \*attr*, *int detachstate*);

*int*\

**pthread\_attr\_getdetachstate**(*const pthread\_attr\_t \*attr*, *int \*detachstate*);

*int*\

**pthread\_attr\_setinheritsched**(*pthread\_attr\_t \*attr*, *int inheritsched*);

*int*\

**pthread\_attr\_getinheritsched**(*const pthread\_attr\_t \*restrict attr*, *int \*restrct inheritsched*);

*int*\

**pthread\_attr\_setschedparam**(*pthread\_attr\_t \*attr*, *const struct sched\_param \*param*);

*int*\

**pthread\_attr\_getschedparam**(*const pthread\_attr\_t \*attr*, *struct sched\_param \*param*);

*int*\

**pthread\_attr\_setschedpolicy**(*pthread\_attr\_t \*attr*, *int policy*);

*int*\

**pthread\_attr\_getschedpolicy**(*const pthread\_attr\_t \*restrict attr*, *int \*restrict policy*);

*int*\

**pthread\_attr\_setscope**(*pthread\_attr\_t \*attr*, *int contentionscope*);

*int*\

**pthread\_attr\_getscope**(*const pthread\_attr\_t \*restrict attr*, *int \*restrict contentionscope*);

## DESCRIPTION

Thread attributes are used to specify parameters to **pthread\_create**(). One attribute object can be used in multiple calls to **pthread\_create**(), with or without modifications between calls.

The **pthread\_attr\_init**() function initializes *attr* with all the default thread attributes.

The **pthread\_attr\_destroy**() function destroys *attr*.

The **pthread\_attr\_set\***() functions set the attribute that corresponds to each function name.

The **pthread\_attr\_get\***() functions copy the value of the attribute that corresponds to each function name to the location pointed to by the second function parameter.

## RETURN VALUES

If successful, these functions return 0. Otherwise, an error number is returned to indicate the error.

## ERRORS

The **pthread\_attr\_init**() function will fail if:

- \[ENOMEM\]

  Out of memory.

The **pthread\_attr\_destroy**() function will fail if:

- \[EINVAL\]

  Invalid value for *attr*.

The **pthread\_attr\_setstacksize**() and **pthread\_attr\_setstack**() functions will fail if:

- \[EINVAL\]

  *stacksize* is less than PTHREAD\_STACK\_MIN.

The **pthread\_attr\_setdetachstate**() function will fail if:

- \[EINVAL\]

  Invalid value for *detachstate*.

The **pthread\_attr\_setinheritsched**() function will fail if:

- \[EINVAL\]

  Invalid value for *attr*.

The **pthread\_attr\_setschedparam**() function will fail if:

- \[EINVAL\]

  Invalid value for *attr*.

- \[ENOTSUP\]

  Invalid value for *param*.

The **pthread\_attr\_setschedpolicy**() function will fail if:

- \[EINVAL\]

  Invalid value for *attr*.

- \[ENOTSUP\]

  Invalid or unsupported value for *policy*.

The **pthread\_attr\_setscope**() function will fail if:

- \[EINVAL\]

  Invalid value for *attr*.

- \[ENOTSUP\]

  Invalid or unsupported value for *contentionscope*.

## SEE ALSO

[pthread\_attr\_affinity\_np(3)](/pthread_attr_affinity_np/3.md), [pthread\_attr\_get\_np(3)](/pthread_attr_get_np/3.md), [pthread\_create(3)](/pthread_create/3.md)

## STANDARDS

**pthread\_attr\_init**(), **pthread\_attr\_destroy**(), **pthread\_attr\_setstacksize**(), **pthread\_attr\_getstacksize**(), **pthread\_attr\_setstackaddr**(), **pthread\_attr\_getstackaddr**(), **pthread\_attr\_setdetachstate**(), and **pthread\_attr\_getdetachstate**() functions conform to ISO/IEC 9945-1:1996 (“POSIX.1”)

The **pthread\_attr\_setinheritsched**(), **pthread\_attr\_getinheritsched**(), **pthread\_attr\_setschedparam**(), **pthread\_attr\_getschedparam**(), **pthread\_attr\_setschedpolicy**(), **pthread\_attr\_getschedpolicy**(), **pthread\_attr\_setscope**(), and **pthread\_attr\_getscope**() functions conform to Version 2 of the Single UNIX Specification (“SUSv2”)