Go to main content

man pages section 3: Extended Library Functions, Volume 1

Exit Print View

Updated: Wednesday, July 27, 2022
 
 

pcap_lookupdev (3pcap)

Name

pcap_lookupdev - find the default device on which to capture

Synopsis

#include <pcap/pcap.h>

char errbuf[PCAP_ERRBUF_SIZE];

[DEPRECATED] char *pcap_lookupdev(char *errbuf);

Description

PCAP_LOOKUPDEV(3pcap)                                    PCAP_LOOKUPDEV(3pcap)



NAME
       pcap_lookupdev - find the default device on which to capture

SYNOPSIS
       #include <pcap/pcap.h>

       char errbuf[PCAP_ERRBUF_SIZE];

       [DEPRECATED] char *pcap_lookupdev(char *errbuf);

DESCRIPTION
       This  interface  is  obsoleted  by  pcap_findalldevs(3PCAP).  To find a
       default device on which to capture, call pcap_findalldevs() and, if the
       list  it  returns  is not empty, use the first device in the list.  (If
       the list is empty, there are no devices on which capture is possible.)

       pcap_lookupdev() returns a pointer to a string giving  the  name  of  a
       network   device   suitable   for   use   with  pcap_create(3PCAP)  and
       pcap_activate(3PCAP),   or   with   pcap_open_live(3PCAP),   and   with
       pcap_lookupnet(3PCAP).   If  there  is  an  error, NULL is returned and
       errbuf is filled in with  an  appropriate  error  message.   errbuf  is
       assumed to be able to hold at least PCAP_ERRBUF_SIZE chars.


ATTRIBUTES
       See attributes(7) for descriptions of the following attributes:


       +---------------+------------------------+
       |ATTRIBUTE TYPE |    ATTRIBUTE VALUE     |
       +---------------+------------------------+
       |Availability   | system/library/libpcap |
       +---------------+------------------------+
       |Stability      | Uncommitted            |
       +---------------+------------------------+

SEE ALSO
       pcap(3PCAP)

BUGS
       The  pointer  returned  by  pcap_lookupdev() points to a static buffer;
       subsequent calls to pcap_lookupdev() in the same thread,  or  calls  to
       pcap_lookupdev() in another thread, may overwrite that buffer.

       In  WinPcap,  this  function  may return a UTF-16 string rather than an
       ASCII or UTF-8 string.




NOTES
       Source code for open source software components in Oracle  Solaris  can
       be found at https://www.oracle.com/downloads/opensource/solaris-source-
       code-downloads.html.

       This    software    was    built    from    source     available     at
       https://github.com/oracle/solaris-userland.    The  original  community
       source  was  downloaded   from    https://www.tcpdump.org/release/libp-
       cap-1.9.1.tar.gz.

       Further information about this software can be found on the open source
       community website at https://www.tcpdump.org/.



                               8 September 2017          PCAP_LOOKUPDEV(3pcap)