xref: /freebsd/contrib/libpcap/pcap_setnonblock.3pcap (revision afdbf109c6a661a729938f68211054a0a50d38ac)
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PCAP_SETNONBLOCK 3PCAP "30 November 2023"
NAME
pcap_setnonblock, pcap_getnonblock - set or get the state of non-blocking mode on a capture device
SYNOPSIS
#include <pcap/pcap.h>

char errbuf[PCAP_ERRBUF_SIZE];

int pcap_setnonblock(pcap_t *p, int nonblock, char *errbuf); int pcap_getnonblock(pcap_t *p, char *errbuf);

DESCRIPTION
pcap_setnonblock () puts a capture handle into ``non-blocking'' mode, or takes it out of ``non-blocking'' mode, depending on whether the nonblock argument is non-zero or zero. It has no effect on ``savefiles''. errbuf is a buffer large enough to hold at least PCAP_ERRBUF_SIZE chars.

In ``non-blocking'' mode, an attempt to read from the capture descriptor with pcap_dispatch (3PCAP) and pcap_next_ex (3PCAP) will, if no packets are currently available to be read, return 0 immediately rather than blocking waiting for packets to arrive.

pcap_loop (3PCAP) will loop forever, consuming CPU time when no packets are currently available; pcap_dispatch () should be used instead. pcap_next (3PCAP) will return NULL if there are no packets currently available to read; this is indistinguishable from an error, so pcap_next_ex () should be used instead.

When first activated with pcap_activate (3PCAP) or opened with pcap_open_live (3PCAP), a capture handle is not in ``non-blocking mode''; a call to pcap_setnonblock () is required in order to put it into ``non-blocking'' mode.

RETURN VALUE
pcap_setnonblock() return 0 on success, PCAP_ERROR_NOT_ACTIVATED if called on a capture handle that has been created but not activated, and PCAP_ERROR for other errors. pcap_getnonblock () returns the current ``non-blocking'' state of the capture descriptor on success; it always returns 0 on ``savefiles''. It returns PCAP_ERROR_NOT_ACTIVATED if called on a capture handle that has been created but not activated, and PCAP_ERROR for other errors. If PCAP_ERROR is returned, errbuf is filled in with an appropriate error message.
SEE ALSO
pcap (3PCAP), pcap_next_ex (3PCAP), pcap_geterr (3PCAP)