I tried to google but had less than zero luck, well ok SHGetFolderpath ... though that same link hinted at $HOME as how to find home... Anyway I am trying to find the user''s home directory... is there a C function for this? Or, do I have to get it from the HOME env var? (and can I rely on $HOME being available all the time/place?) Thank you kindly

quote: Original post by FeralofFireTop

I tried to google but had less than zero luck, well ok SHGetFolderpath ... though that same link hinted at $HOME as how to find home...

Anyway I am trying to find the user''s home directory... is there a C function for this? Or, do I have to get it from the HOME env var? (and can I rely on $HOME being available all the time/place?)


Thank you kindly

I assume u mean on a unix box since u posted this here. on linux/glibc (i''m not sure if this is posix compatible), use getpwent(). Do not rely on $HOME, esp if your program is going to be run suid/sgid.

*nod* *nod* Yup yup was mindfull of what forum I was posting in

Thank you for the help

What I came up with...

// *nix things to find user''s home dir.#include <unistd.h> // getuid#include <pwd.h>	// getpwent() and struct passwdvoid main(void){	char caBuffer[1024]; // I technically am using a std::string	// uid_t should be a uint32	uid_t MyUID = getuid();	passwd * pPW = NULL;	while( (pPW = getpwent() ) != NULL)	{		if	(	pPW->pw_uid == MyUID)		{			break;	// Break out of closest do, for, while		}	}	if	(	pPW != NULL)	{		strcpy(caBuffer, pPW->pw_dir);	}	endpwent(); // close	printf("!! %s\n", caBuffer); // "!! /home/feral"}//END

An I liked the simplicity of ''printf("!! %s\n", getenv("HOME") );'' too!

quote: Original post by FeralofFireTop

	while( (pPW = getpwent() ) != NULL)	{		if	(	pPW->pw_uid == MyUID)		{			break;	// Break out of closest do, for, while		}	}

All that can be replaced with "pPW=getpwuid(getuid());"

Ahh! wonderful, thank you for pointing that out!

... now that (code) is the efficient and simplicity I was expecting to find (in *nix land), heh.

Anyway thank you again

getenv("HOME") will return $HOME (assuming it exists).