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

# sysdecode(3)

system argument decoding library

## NAME

**sysdecode** – system argument decoding library

## LIBRARY

library “libsysdecode”

## SYNOPSIS

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

## DESCRIPTION

The **sysdecode** library includes several functions that provide descriptive names of values associated with system calls.

### Supported ABIs

Some functions in this library provide ABI-specific descriptions. The supported ABIs are named by the *enum* *sysdecode\_abi* enumeration.

- SYSDECODE\_ABI\_FREEBSD

  Native FreeBSD binaries. Supported on all platforms.

- SYSDECODE\_ABI\_FREEBSD32

  32-bit FreeBSD binaries. Supported on aarch64, amd64 and powerpc64.

- SYSDECODE\_ABI\_LINUX

  Linux binaries of the same platform. Supported on amd64, i386, and aarch64.

- SYSDECODE\_ABI\_LINUX32

  32-bit Linux binaries. Supported on amd64.

- SYSDECODE\_ABI\_UNKNOWN

  A placeholder for use when the ABI is not known.

## SEE ALSO

[sysdecode\_abi\_to\_freebsd\_errno(3)](/sysdecode_abi_to_freebsd_errno/3.md), [sysdecode\_cap\_rights(3)](/sysdecode_cap_rights/3.md), [sysdecode\_cmsg\_type(3)](/sysdecode_cmsg_type/3.md), [sysdecode\_enum(3)](/sysdecode_enum/3.md), [sysdecode\_fcntl\_arg(3)](/sysdecode_fcntl_arg/3.md), [sysdecode\_ioctlname(3)](/sysdecode_ioctlname/3.md), [sysdecode\_kevent(3)](/sysdecode_kevent/3.md), [sysdecode\_mask(3)](/sysdecode_mask/3.md), [sysdecode\_quotactl\_cmd(3)](/sysdecode_quotactl_cmd/3.md), [sysdecode\_sctp\_sinfo\_flags(3)](/sysdecode_sctp_sinfo_flags/3.md), [sysdecode\_sigcode(3)](/sysdecode_sigcode/3.md), [sysdecode\_socket\_protocol(3)](/sysdecode_socket_protocol/3.md), [sysdecode\_sockopt\_name(3)](/sysdecode_sockopt_name/3.md), [sysdecode\_syscallname(3)](/sysdecode_syscallname/3.md), [sysdecode\_utrace(3)](/sysdecode_utrace/3.md)

## HISTORY

The **sysdecode** library first appeared in FreeBSD 11.0.