.\" Copyright (c) 1992 The Regents of the University of California.
.\" All rights reserved.
.\"
.\" %sccs.include.redist.man%
.\"
.\"     @(#)kvm_geterr.3	5.2 (Berkeley) 04/29/92
.\"
.Dd 
.Dt KVM_GETERR 3
.Os
.Sh NAME
.Nm kvm_geterr
.Nd get error message on kvm descriptor
.Sh SYNOPSIS
.Fd #include <kvm.h>
.br
.Ft char *
.Fn kvm_geterr "kvm_t *kd"
.Sh DESCRIPTION
This function returns a string describing the most recent error condition
on the descriptor
.Fa kd .
The results are undefined if the most recent
.Xr kvm 3
library call did not produce an error.
The string returned is stored in memory owned by 
.Xr kvm 3
so the message should be copied out and saved elsewhere if necessary.
.Sh BUGS
This routine cannot be used to access error conditions due to a failed
.Fn kvm_openfiles
call, since failure is indicated by returning a
.Dv NULL
descriptor.
Therefore, errors on open are output to the special error buffer
passed to 
.Fn kvm_openfiles .
This option is not available to
.Fn kvm_open .
.Sh SEE ALSO
.Xr kvm 3 ,
.Xr kvm_close 3 ,
.Xr kvm_getargv 3 ,
.Xr kvm_getenvv 3 ,
.Xr kvm_getprocs 3 ,
.Xr kvm_nlist 3 ,
.Xr kvm_open 3 ,
.Xr kvm_openfiles 3 ,
.Xr kvm_read 3 ,
.Xr kvm_write 3