acct(2)                                                                acct(2)


NAME
     acct - enable or disable process accounting

SYNOPSIS
     #include <unistd.h>

     int acct(const char *path);

DESCRIPTION
     acct enables or disables the system process accounting routine.  If the
     routine is enabled, an accounting record will be written in an accounting
     file for each process that terminates.  The termination of a process can
     be caused by one of two things: an exit call or a signal [see exit(2) and
     signal(2)].  The calling process must have the capability CAP_ACCT_MGT
     (see capabilities(4) ) in its effective set to enable or disable
     accounting.

     path points to a pathname naming the accounting file.  The accounting
     file format is given in acct(4).

     The accounting routine is enabled if path is non-zero and no errors occur
     during the system call.  It is disabled if path is (char *)NULL and no
     errors occur during the system call.

     acct will fail if one or more of the following are true:

     EACCES              The file named by path is not an ordinary file.

     EACCES              Search permission is denied on a component of the
                         path prefix.

     EACCES              Write permission on the name file is denied.

     EBUSY               An attempt is being made to enable accounting using
                         the same file that is currently being used.

     EFAULT              path points to an illegal address.

     ELOOP               Too many symbolic links were encountered in
                         translating path.

     ENAMETOOLONG        The length of the path argument exceeds {PATH_MAX},
                         or the length of a path component exceeds {NAME_MAX}
                         while _POSIX_NO_TRUNC is in effect.

     ENOTDIR             A component of the path prefix is not a directory.

     ENOENT              One or more components of the accounting file
                         pathname do not exist.


     EPERM               The calling process does not have CAP_ACCT_MGT in its
                         effective set when trying to enable or disable
                         accounting.

     EROFS               The named file resides on a read-only file system.

SEE ALSO
     exit(2), signal(2), acct(4),capabilities(4)

DIAGNOSTICS
     Upon successful completion, a value of 0 is returned. Otherwise, a value
     of -1 is returned and errno is set to indicate the error.


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