TCFLUSH(3) Library Functions Manual TCFLUSH(3)

tcflush — flush non-transmitted output data, non-read input data or both

#include <termios.h>

int tcflush(int fildes, int queue_selector);

Upon successful completion, tcflush() discards data written to the object referred to by fildes (an open file descriptor associated with a terminal) but not transmitted, or data received but not read, depending on the value of queue_selector :

  • If queue_selector is TCIFLUSH it flushes data received but not read.
  • If queue_selector is TCOFLUSH it flushes data written but not transmitted.
  • If queue_selector is TCIOFLUSH it flushes both data received but not read and data written but not transmitted.

Attempts to use tcflush() from a process which is a member of a background process group on a associated with its controlling terminal, will cause the process group to be sent a SIGTTOU signal. If the calling process is blocking or ignoring SIGTTOU signals, the process is allowed to perform the operation, and no signal is sent.

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

The tcflush() function will fail if:

The fildes argument is not a valid file descriptor.
The queue_selector argument is not a supported value.
The file associated with fildes is not a terminal.

The tcflush() function may fail if:

The process group of the writing process is orphaned, and the writing process is not ignoring or blocking SIGTTOU.

None.

None.

In the ISO POSIX-1 standard, the possibility of an [EIO] error occurring is described in XBD specification, , but it is not mentioned in the tcflow(3) interface definition. It has become clear that this omission was unintended, so it is likely that the [EIO] error will be reclassified as a "will fail" in a future issue of the POSIX standard.

tcdrain(3) , <termios.h> , <unistd.h> , the XBD specification, .

Derived from the POSIX.1-1988 standard.

February 1997 posix.fail