## GCredentials GCredentials — An object containing credentials |

## Synopsis

    #include <gio/gio.h>

                        GCredentials;
    enum                GCredentialsType;
    GCredentials *      g_credentials_new                   (void);
    gchar *             g_credentials_to_string             (GCredentials *credentials);
    gpointer            g_credentials_get_native            (GCredentials *credentials,
                                                             GCredentialsType native_type);
    void                g_credentials_set_native            (GCredentials *credentials,
                                                             GCredentialsType native_type,
                                                             gpointer native);
    gboolean            g_credentials_is_same_user          (GCredentials *credentials,
                                                             GCredentials *other_credentials,
                                                             GError **error);
    uid_t               g_credentials_get_unix_user         (GCredentials *credentials,
                                                             GError **error);
    gboolean            g_credentials_set_unix_user         (GCredentials *credentials,
                                                             uid_t uid,
                                                             GError **error);
    pid_t               g_credentials_get_unix_pid          (GCredentials *credentials,
                                                             GError **error);

## Object Hierarchy

      GObject
       +----GCredentials

## Description

The GCredentials type is a reference-counted wrapper for native credentials. This information is typically used for identifying, authenticating and authorizing other processes.

Some operating systems supports looking up the credentials of the remote peer of a communication endpoint - see e.g. `g_socket_get_credentials()`.

Some operating systems supports securely sending and receiving credentials over a Unix Domain Socket, see GUnixCredentialsMessage, `g_unix_connection_send_credentials()` and `g_unix_connection_receive_credentials()` for details.

On Linux, the native credential type is a struct ucred

- see the unix(7) man page for details. This corresponds to `G_CREDENTIALS_TYPE_LINUX_UCRED`.

On FreeBSD, the native credential type is a struct cmsgcred. This corresponds to `G_CREDENTIALS_TYPE_FREEBSD_CMSGCRED`.

On OpenBSD, the native credential type is a struct sockpeercred. This corresponds to `G_CREDENTIALS_TYPE_OPENBSD_SOCKPEERCRED`.

## Details

### GCredentials

    typedef struct _GCredentials GCredentials;

The GCredentials structure contains only private data and should only be accessed using the provided API.

Since 2.26

### enum GCredentialsType

    typedef enum {
      G_CREDENTIALS_TYPE_INVALID,
      G_CREDENTIALS_TYPE_LINUX_UCRED,
      G_CREDENTIALS_TYPE_FREEBSD_CMSGCRED,
      G_CREDENTIALS_TYPE_OPENBSD_SOCKPEERCRED
    } GCredentialsType;

Enumeration describing different kinds of native credential types.

`G_CREDENTIALS_TYPE_INVALID` | Indicates an invalid native credential type.
`G_CREDENTIALS_TYPE_LINUX_UCRED` | The native credentials type is a struct ucred.
`G_CREDENTIALS_TYPE_FREEBSD_CMSGCRED` | The native credentials type is a struct cmsgcred.
`G_CREDENTIALS_TYPE_OPENBSD_SOCKPEERCRED` | The native credentials type is a struct sockpeercred. Added in 2.30.

Since 2.26

### g_credentials_new ()

    GCredentials *      g_credentials_new                   (void);

Creates a new GCredentials object with credentials matching the the current process.

Returns : | A GCredentials. Free with `g_object_unref()`.

Since 2.26

### g_credentials_to_string ()

    gchar *             g_credentials_to_string             (GCredentials *credentials);

Creates a human-readable textual representation of `credentials` that can be used in logging and debug messages. The format of the returned string may change in future GLib release.

`credentials` : | A GCredentials object.
Returns : | A string that should be freed with `g_free()`.

Since 2.26

### g_credentials_get_native ()

    gpointer            g_credentials_get_native            (GCredentials *credentials,
                                                             GCredentialsType native_type);

Gets a pointer to native credentials of type `native_type` from `credentials`.

It is a programming error (which will cause an warning to be logged) to use this method if there is no GCredentials support for the OS or if `native_type` isn't supported by the OS.

`credentials` : | A GCredentials.
`native_type` : | The type of native credentials to get.
Returns : | The pointer to native credentials or `NULL` if the operation there is no GCredentials support for the OS or if `native_type` isn't supported by the OS. Do not free the returned data, it is owned by `credentials`.

Since 2.26

### g_credentials_set_native ()

    void                g_credentials_set_native            (GCredentials *credentials,
                                                             GCredentialsType native_type,
                                                             gpointer native);

Copies the native credentials of type `native_type` from `native` into `credentials`.

It is a programming error (which will cause an warning to be logged) to use this method if there is no GCredentials support for the OS or if `native_type` isn't supported by the OS.

`credentials` : | A GCredentials.
`native_type` : | The type of native credentials to set.
`native` : | A pointer to native credentials.

Since 2.26

### g_credentials_is_same_user ()

    gboolean            g_credentials_is_same_user          (GCredentials *credentials,
                                                             GCredentials *other_credentials,
                                                             GError **error);

Checks if `credentials` and `other_credentials` is the same user.

This operation can fail if GCredentials is not supported on the the OS.

`credentials` : | A GCredentials.
`other_credentials` : | A GCredentials.
`error` : | Return location for error or `NULL`.
Returns : | `TRUE` if `credentials` and `other_credentials` has the same user, `FALSE` otherwise or if `error` is set.

Since 2.26

### g_credentials_get_unix_user ()

    uid_t               g_credentials_get_unix_user         (GCredentials *credentials,
                                                             GError **error);

Tries to get the UNIX user identifier from `credentials`. This method is only available on UNIX platforms.

This operation can fail if GCredentials is not supported on the OS or if the native credentials type does not contain information about the UNIX user.

`credentials` : | A GCredentials
`error` : | Return location for error or `NULL`.
Returns : | The UNIX user identifier or -1 if `error` is set.

Since 2.26

### g_credentials_set_unix_user ()

    gboolean            g_credentials_set_unix_user         (GCredentials *credentials,
                                                             uid_t uid,
                                                             GError **error);

Tries to set the UNIX user identifier on `credentials`. This method is only available on UNIX platforms.

This operation can fail if GCredentials is not supported on the OS or if the native credentials type does not contain information about the UNIX user.

`credentials` : | A GCredentials.
`uid` : | The UNIX user identifier to set.
`error` : | Return location for error or `NULL`.
Returns : | `TRUE` if `uid` was set, `FALSE` if error is set.

Since 2.26

### g_credentials_get_unix_pid ()

    pid_t               g_credentials_get_unix_pid          (GCredentials *credentials,
                                                             GError **error);

Tries to get the UNIX process identifier from `credentials`. This method is only available on UNIX platforms.

This operation can fail if GCredentials is not supported on the OS or if the native credentials type does not contain information about the UNIX process ID.

`credentials` : | A GCredentials
`error` : | Return location for error or `NULL`.
Returns : | The UNIX process ID, or -1 if `error` is set.

Since 2.36