Open System Services Library Calls Reference Manual (G06.27+, H06.04+)

About This Manual
The HP NonStop Open System Services (OSS) application program interface (API)
provides an open interface for programs to be run with the underlying HP NonStop
operating system.
The Open System Services Library Calls Reference Manual contains reference pages for
OSS library function calls.
This manual describes the OSS API in the native environment.
The description of the OSS API is divided into library function calls (documented in this
manual) and system function calls (documented in the Open System Services System
Calls Reference Manual). unctions appear in one manual or the other, based on the
logical section number assigned to the reference page for the function. (So that all
threads-related functions can be described in a single manual, certain HP extensions to
the standard POSIX threads functions do not obey this rule.) Refer to Reference Section
Numbers later in this section for an explanation of the logical section numbers.
This division does not imply any restrictions upon the use of the functions described in
either manual. The division exists for many reasons, including:
•
Consistency with the documentation of the Guardian API. The Guardian API for
process management and low-level file-system access is documented separately from
other portions of the API available to users of a C runtime library.
•
Consistency with the separation of functions used in some UNIX systems. In those
systems, an important distinction exists between the API for code that is to run in
kernel space and the API for code that is to run in user space. This distinction is
meaningless for users of the OSS API. The HP NonStop operating system does
distinguish among code that runs in user code space, code that runs in system code
space, and code that runs in library code space, but the distinction does not separate
the functions of the OSS API.
• Ease of use for the printed version of the material, which would be a multiple-volume
manual regardless of organization.
The encrypt(3) and setkey(3) functions in the exported (shipped outside the United
States) are compatible but inactive functions calls because of United States Government
restrictions on encryption software.
Unless otherwise indicated in the text, discussions of native mode behavior, processes,
and so forth apply to both the TNS/R code that runs on G-series systems and to the
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