The semctl function provides a variety of semaphore control operations as specified by cmd. The fourth argument is optional and depends upon the operation requested. If required, it is of type union semun, which is explicitly declared as: union semun { int val; struct semid_ds *buf; unsigned short *array; } arg; The following semaphore control operations as specified by cmd are executed with respect to the semaphore specified by semid and semnum. The level of permission required for each operation is shown with each command. The symbolic names for the values of cmd are defined in the <sem.h> header: o GETVAL Returns the value of semval. Requires read permission. o SETVAL Sets the value of semval to arg.val, where arg is the value of the fourth argument to semctl. When this command is successfully executed, the semadj value corresponding to the specified semaphore in all processes is cleared. Requires alter permission. o GETPID Returns the value of sempid; requires read permission. o GETNCNT Returns the value of semncnt; requires read permission. o GETZCNT Returns the value of semzcnt; requires read permission. The following values of cmd operate on each semval in the set of semaphores: o GETALL Returns the value of semval for each semaphore in the semaphore set and places it into the array pointed to by arg.array, where arg is the fourth argument to semctl; requires read permission. o SETALL Sets the value of semval for each semaphore in the semaphore set according to the array pointed to by arg.array, where arg is the fourth argument to semctl. When this command is successfully executed, the semadj values corresponding to each specified semaphore in all processes are cleared. Requires alter permission. The following values of cmd are also available: o IPC_STAT Places the current value of each member of the semid_ds data structure associated with semid into the structure pointed to by arg.buf, where arg is the fourth argument to semctl. The contents of this structure are defined in <sem.h>. Requires read permission. o IPC_SET Sets the value of the following members of the semid_ds data structure associated with semid to the corresponding value found in the structure pointed to by arg.buf, where arg is the fourth argument to semctl: sem_perm.uid sem_perm.gid sem_perm.mode The mode bits specified in The Open Group Base Specifications IPC General Description section are copied into the corresponding bits of the sem_perm.mode associated with semid. The stored values of any other bits are unspecified. This command can only be executed by a process that has an effective user ID equal to either that of a process with appropriate privileges or to the value of sem_perm.cuid or sem_perm.uid in the semid_ds data structure associated with semid. o IPC_RMID Removes the semaphore identifier specified by semid from the system and destroys the set of semaphores and semid_ds data structure associated with it. This command can only be executed by a process that has an effective user ID equal to either that of a process with appropriate privileges or to the value of sem_perm.cuid or sem_perm.uid in the semid_ds data structure associated with semid.