---
name: "revoke"
section: "2freebsd"
platform: "linux"
package: "freebsd-manpages"
version: "12.2-2"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/revoke/2freebsd"
---

# revoke(2freebsd)

revoke file access

## NAME

**revoke** – revoke file access

## LIBRARY

Standard C Library (libc, -lc)

## SYNOPSIS

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

*int*\

**revoke**(*const char \*path*);

## DESCRIPTION

The **revoke**() system call invalidates all current open file descriptors in the system for the file named by *path*. Subsequent operations on any such descriptors fail, with the exceptions that a **read**() from a character device file which has been revoked returns a count of zero (end of file), and a **close**() system call will succeed. If the file is a special file for a device which is open, the device close function is called as if all open references to the file had been closed using a special close method which does not block.

Access to a file may be revoked only by its owner or the super user. The **revoke**() system call is currently supported only for block and character special device files. It is normally used to prepare a terminal device for a new login session, preventing any access by a previous user of the terminal.

## RETURN VALUES

The **revoke()** function returns the value 0 if successful; otherwise the value -1 is returned and the global variable errno is set to indicate the error.

## ERRORS

Access to the named file is revoked unless one of the following:

- \[ENOTDIR\]

  A component of the path prefix is not a directory.

- \[ENAMETOOLONG\]

  A component of a pathname exceeded 255 characters, or an entire path name exceeded 1024 characters.

- \[ENOENT\]

  The named file or a component of the path name does not exist.

- \[EACCES\]

  Search permission is denied for a component of the path prefix.

- \[ELOOP\]

  Too many symbolic links were encountered in translating the pathname.

- \[EFAULT\]

  The *path* argument points outside the process's allocated address space.

- \[EINVAL\]

  The implementation does not support the **revoke**() operation on the named file.

- \[EPERM\]

  The caller is neither the owner of the file nor the super user.

## SEE ALSO

[revoke(1)](/revoke/1.md), [close(2)](/close/2.md)

## HISTORY

The **revoke**() system call first appeared in 4.3BSD-Reno.

## BUGS

The non-blocking close method is only correctly implemented for terminal devices.