The Linux SCSI Generic (sg) HOWTO
Prev | Chapter 7. System calls | Next

# 7.3. read()

read(int sg_fd, void * buffer, size_t count). The action of read() with a control block based on struct sg_header is discussed in the earlier document: `www.torque.net/sg/p/scsi-generic.txt` (i.e. the sg version 2 documentation). This section describes the action of read() when it is given a control block based on struct sg_io_hdr.

The 'buffer' should point to an object of type sg_io_hdr_t and 'count' should be sizeof(sg_io_hdr_t) [it can be larger but the excess is ignored]. If the read() call succeeds then the 'count' is returned as the result.

By default, read() will return the oldest completed request that is queued up. A read() will not interfere with any request associated with the SG_IO ioctl() on this file descriptor except in a special case when a SG_IO ioctl() is interrupted by a signal.

If the SG_SET_FORCE_PACK_ID,1 ioctl() is active then read() will attempt to fetch the packet whose pack_id (given earlier to write()) matches the sg_io_hdr_t::pack_id given to this read(). If not available it will either wait or yield EAGAIN. As a special case, -1 in sg_io_hdr_t::pack_id given to read() will match the request whose response has been waiting for the longest time. Take care to also set 'dxfer_direction' to any valid value (e.g. SG_DXFER_NONE) when in this mode. The 'interface_id' member should also be set appropriately.

Apart from the SG_SET_FORCE_PACK_ID case (and then only for the 3 indicated fields), the sg_io_hdr_t object given to read() can be uninitialized. Note that the 'sbp' pointer value for optionally outputting a sense buffer was recorded from the earlier, corresponding write().

Prev | Home | Next
write() | Up | poll()