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SYSEXITS(3)	       FreeBSD Library Functions Manual		   SYSEXITS(3)

NAME
     sysexits -- preferable exit codes for programs

SYNOPSIS
     #include <sysexits.h>

DESCRIPTION
     According to style(9), it is not a	good practice to call exit(3) with ar-
     bitrary values to indicate	a failure condition when ending	a program.
     Instead, the pre-defined exit codes from sysexits should be used, so the
     caller of the process can get a rough estimation about the	failure	class
     without looking up	the source code.

     The successful exit is always indicated by	a status of 0, or EX_OK.  Er-
     ror numbers begin at EX__BASE to reduce the possibility of	clashing with
     other exit	statuses that random programs may already return.  The meaning
     of	the codes is approximately as follows:

     EX_USAGE (64)	   The command was used	incorrectly, e.g., with	the
			   wrong number	of arguments, a	bad flag, a bad	syntax
			   in a	parameter, or whatever.

     EX_DATAERR	(65)	   The input data was incorrect	in some	way.  This
			   should only be used for user's data and not system
			   files.

     EX_NOINPUT	(66)	   An input file (not a	system file) did not exist or
			   was not readable.  This could also include errors
			   like	"No message" to	a mailer (if it	cared to catch
			   it).

     EX_NOUSER (67)	   The user specified did not exist.  This might be
			   used	for mail addresses or remote logins.

     EX_NOHOST (68)	   The host specified did not exist.  This is used in
			   mail	addresses or network requests.

     EX_UNAVAILABLE (69)   A service is	unavailable.  This can occur if	a sup-
			   port	program	or file	does not exist.	 This can also
			   be used as a	catchall message when something	you
			   wanted to do	does not work, but you do not know
			   why.

     EX_SOFTWARE (70)	   An internal software	error has been detected.  This
			   should be limited to	non-operating system related
			   errors as possible.

     EX_OSERR (71)	   An operating	system error has been detected.	 This
			   is intended to be used for such things as "cannot
			   fork", "cannot create pipe",	or the like.  It in-
			   cludes things like getuid returning a user that
			   does	not exist in the passwd	file.

     EX_OSFILE (72)	   Some	system file (e.g., /etc/passwd,
			   /var/run/utx.active,	etc.) does not exist, cannot
			   be opened, or has some sort of error	(e.g., syntax
			   error).

     EX_CANTCREAT (73)	   A (user specified) output file cannot be created.

     EX_IOERR (74)	   An error occurred while doing I/O on	some file.

     EX_TEMPFAIL (75)	   Temporary failure, indicating something that	is not
			   really an error.  In	sendmail, this means that a
			   mailer (e.g.) could not create a connection,	and
			   the request should be reattempted later.

     EX_PROTOCOL (76)	   The remote system returned something	that was "not
			   possible" during a protocol exchange.

     EX_NOPERM (77)	   You did not have sufficient permission to perform
			   the operation.  This	is not intended	for file sys-
			   tem problems, which should use EX_NOINPUT or
			   EX_CANTCREAT, but rather for	higher level permis-
			   sions.

     EX_CONFIG (78)	   Something was found in an unconfigured or miscon-
			   figured state.

     The numerical values corresponding	to the symbolical ones are given in
     parenthesis for easy reference.

SEE ALSO
     err(3), exit(3), style(9)

HISTORY
     The sysexits file appeared	somewhere after	4.3BSD.

AUTHORS
     This manual page was written by Jorg Wunsch after the comments in
     <sysexits.h>.

BUGS
     The choice	of an appropriate exit value is	often ambiguous.

FreeBSD	13.0		       January 21, 2010			  FreeBSD 13.0

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