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BDFLUSH(2) Linux Programmer's Manual BDFLUSH(2)

NAME

     bdflush - start, flush, or tune buffer-dirty-flush daemon

SYNOPSIS

     #include <sys/kdaemon.h>

     int bdflush(int func, long *address);
     int bdflush(int func, long data);

DESCRIPTION

     Note: Since Linux 2.6, this system call is deprecated and does nothing.
     It is likely to disappear altogether in a future kernel release.  Nowa-
     days,  the task performed by bdflush() is handled by the kernel pdflush
     thread.

     bdflush() starts, flushes,  or  tunes  the  buffer-dirty-flush  daemon.
     Only  a  privileged process (one with the CAP_SYS_ADMIN capability) may
     call bdflush().

     If func is negative  or  0,  and  no  daemon  has  been  started,  then
     bdflush() enters the daemon code and never returns.

     If func is 1, some dirty buffers are written to disk.

     If  func  is  2 or more and is even (low bit is 0), then address is the
     address of a long word, and the tuning parameter numbered (func-2)/2 is
     returned to the caller in that address.

     If  func  is  3  or more and is odd (low bit is 1), then data is a long
     word, and the kernel sets tuning parameter numbered (func-3)/2 to  that
     value.

     The set of parameters, their values, and their valid ranges are defined
     in the Linux kernel source file fs/buffer.c.

RETURN VALUE

     If func is negative or 0 and the daemon successfully starts,  bdflush()
     never  returns.   Otherwise, the return value is 0 on success and -1 on
     failure, with errno set to indicate the error.

ERRORS

     EBUSY  An attempt was made to  enter  the  daemon  code  after  another
            process has already entered.

     EFAULT address points outside your accessible address space.

     EINVAL An  attempt  was made to read or write an invalid parameter num-
            ber, or to write an invalid value to a parameter.

     EPERM  Caller does not have the CAP_SYS_ADMIN capability.

VERSIONS

     Since version 2.23, glibc no longer supports this obsolete system call.

CONFORMING TO

     bdflush() is Linux-specific and should not be used in programs intended
     to be portable.