

getuid()               COHERENT System Call              getuid()




Get real user identifier

getuid()

Every process  has two different versions of  its user id, called
the real user id and the  effective user id.  The user ids deter-
mine  eligibility to  access files  or employ  system privileges.
Normally, these  two ids are identical.  However,  for a set user
id load module (see exec), the  real user id is that of the user,
whereas the  effective user id is that of  the load module owner.
This distinction  allows system programs  to use files  which are
protected from the user who invokes the program.

getuid returns the real user id.

***** See Also *****

access(), COHERENT system calls, exec, getegid(), geteuid(), get-
gid(), login, setuid()





































COHERENT Lexicon                                           Page 1


