getlogin function

Synopsis

$getlogin()

Technical

Returns the login name associated with EPIC's process, using the Unix getlogin_r() interface. This is the operating system's login-session name, rather than an IRC nickname or an arbitrary user-name lookup.

No arguments are required; supplied arguments are ignored. The function uses a 256-byte buffer. If getlogin_r() fails, including because no login name is available or the buffer is too small, it returns the empty string without an error message.

There is no fallback to the environment's USER or LOGNAME, or to the password database using the process's user ID. A login-session name need not describe the process's current real or effective user credentials. Use $getuid() for the real numeric user ID, or $getenv() for an explicit environment lookup.

Returns

The login name as a string, or the empty string on lookup failure. Running without suitable login-session information, such as in some detached or background environments, can leave this unavailable.

Examples

@ login_name = getlogin()

This stores the returned login name, or the empty string if the system cannot provide one. It does not print or change the identity.

Source

Registration, fixed-buffer getlogin_r() lookup, and failure handling: source/functions.c. Return-string copying: include/functions.h.