Manpages - program_invocation_name.3

program_invocation_name, program_invocation_short_name - obtain name used to invoke calling program

  #define _GNU_SOURCE /* See feature_test_macros(7) */
  #include <errno.h>

  extern char *program_invocation_name;
  extern char *program_invocation_short_name;

program_invocation_name contains the name that was used to invoke the calling program. This is the same as the value of argv[0] in main/(), with the difference that the scope of /program_invocation_name is global.

program_invocation_short_name contains the basename component of name that was used to invoke the calling program. That is, it is the same value as program_invocation_name, with all text up to and including the final slash (/), if any, removed.

These variables are automatically initialized by the glibc run-time startup code.

These variables are GNU extensions, and should not be used in programs intended to be portable.

The Linux-specific /proc[number]/cmdline/ file provides access to similar information.

*proc*(5)

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