This document details libc/libm/libdl additions and behavior changes.
See also Android linker changes for NDK developers for changes related to native code loading in various Android releases.
You can see the current status with respect to POSIX in the form of tests: https://android.googlesource.com/platform/bionic/+/main/tests/headers/posix/
Some POSIX functionality is not supported by the Linux kernel, and
is guarded with tests for __linux__
. Other functionality is not
supported by bionic or glibc, and guarded with tests for __BIONIC__
and __GLIBC__
. In other cases historical accidents mean 32-bit
bionic diverged but 64-bit bionic matches POSIX; these are guarded with
__LP64__
.
Most bionic-only diversions should be accompanied by an explanatory comment.
Missing functions are either obsolete or explicitly disallowed by SELinux:
a64l
/l64a
confstr
crypt
/encrypt
/setkey
gethostid
shm_open
/shm_unlink
sockatmark
ualarm
Missing functionality:
<aio.h>
<monetary.h>
. See discussion.<wordexp.h>
- Locales. Although bionic contains the various
_l()
functions, the only locale supported is a UTF-8 C/POSIX locale. Most of the POSIX APIs are insufficient to support the wide range of languages used by Android users, and apps should use icu4c (or do their i18n work in Java) instead. - Robust mutexes. See discussion.
- Thread cancellation (
pthread_cancel
). Unlikely to ever be implemented because of the difficulty and cost of implementing it, and the difficulty of using it correctly. See This is why we can't have safe cancellation points for more about thread cancellation.
Run ./libc/tools/check-symbols-glibc.py
in bionic/ for the current
list of POSIX functions implemented by glibc but not by bionic.
Current libc symbols: https://android.googlesource.com/platform/bionic/+/main/libc/libc.map.txt
New libc functions in V (API level 35):
tcgetwinsize
,tcsetwinsize
(POSIX Issue 8 additions).timespec_getres
(C23 addition).localtime_rz
,mktime_z
,tzalloc
, andtzfree
(NetBSD extensions implemented in tzcode, and the "least non-standard" functions for avoiding $TZ if you need to use multiple timezones in multi-threaded C).mbsrtowcs_l
andwcsrtombs_l
aliases formbsrtowcs
andwcsrtombs
.- GNU extensions
strerrordesc_np
andstrerrorname_np
. - New system call wrappers:
__riscv_flush_icache
(<sys/cachectl.h>
),__riscv_hwprobe
(<sys/hwprobe.h>
),epoll_pwait2
/epoll_pwait2_64
(<sys/epoll.h>
).
New libc behavior in V (API level 35):
- Added
LD_SHOW_AUXV
to the dynamic linker to dump the ELF auxiliary vector if the environment variable is set. - The printf family now supports
%#m
to print the name of the errno constant (rather than the description printed by%m
).
New libc functions in U (API level 34):
close_range
andcopy_file_range
(Linux-specific GNU extensions).memset_explicit
in <string.h> (C23 addition).__freadahead
in <stdio_ext.h> (in musl but not glibc).posix_spawn_file_actions_addchdir_np
andposix_spawn_file_actions_addfchdir_np
in <spawn.h> (in musl/glibc and macOS, but not iOS).
New libc behavior in U (API level 34):
- Support for
%b
and%B
in the printf/wprintf family,%b
in the scanf/wscanf family, and0b
prefixes with base 0 in the strtol/wcstol family. - Support for
wN
length modifiers in the printf/wprintf family. - tmpfile() now respects $TMPDIR.
New libc functions in T (API level 33):
backtrace
,backtrace_symbols
,backtrace_symbols_fd
(<execinfo.h>
).- New system call wrappers:
preadv2
,preadv64v2
,pwritev2
,pwritev64v2
.
New libc functions in S (API level 31):
- New hooks for sanitizers for TLS access:
__libc_get_static_tls_bounds
,__libc_register_thread_exit_callback
,__libc_iterate_dynamic_tls
,__libc_register_dynamic_tls_listeners
. - New helper to allow the zygote to give each zygote child its own stack
cookie (currently unused):
android_reset_stack_guards
. - Non-inline symbols for
ffsl
,ffsll
. - New system call wrappers:
pidfd_getfd
,pidfd_open
,pidfd_send_signal
,process_madvise
.
New libc functions in R (API level 30):
- Full C11
<threads.h>
(available as inlines for older API levels). memfd_create
andmlock2
(Linux-specific GNU extensions).renameat2
andstatx
(Linux-specific GNU extensions).pthread_cond_clockwait
/pthread_mutex_clocklock
/pthread_rwlock_clockrdlock
/pthread_rwlock_clockwrlock
/sem_clockwait
New libc behavior in R (API level 30):
- fdsan now aborts when it detects common file descriptor errors, rather than just logging.
New libc functions in Q (API level 29):
timespec_get
(C11<time.h>
addition)reallocarray
(BSD/GNU extension in<malloc.h>
and<stdlib.h>
)res_randomid
(in<resolv.h>
)pthread_sigqueue
(GNU extension)getloadavg
(BSD/GNU extension in <stdlib.h>)
New libc behavior in Q (API level 29):
- Whole printf family now supports the GNU
%m
extension, rather than a special-case hack insyslog
. popen
now always usesO_CLOEXEC
, not just with thee
extension.- Bug fixes to handling of UTF-8 U+fffe/U+ffff and code points above U+10ffff.
aligned_alloc
correctly verifies thatsize
is a multiple ofalignment
.- Using
%n
with the printf family is now reported as a FORTIFY failure. Previous versions of Android would ignore the%n
but not consume the corresponding pointer argument, leading to obscure errors. The scanf family is unchanged. - Support in strptime for
%F
,%G
,%g
,%P
,%u
,%V
, and%v
. (strftime already supported them all.) - fdsan detects and logs common file descriptor errors at runtime.
New libc functions in P (API level 28):
aligned_alloc
__freading
/__fwriting
(completing <stdio_ext.h>)endhostent
/endnetent
/endprotoent
/getnetent
/getprotoent
/sethostent
/setnetent
/setprotoent
(completing <netdb.h>)fexecve
fflush_unlocked
/fgetc_unlocked
/fgets_unlocked
/fputc_unlocked
/fputs_unlocked
/fread_unlocked
/fwrite_unlocked
getentropy
/getrandom
(adding <sys/random.h>)getlogin_r
glob
/globfree
(adding <glob.h>)hcreate
/hcreate_r
/hdestroy
/hdestroy_r
/hsearch
/hsearch_r
(completing <search.h>)iconv
/iconv_close
/iconv_open
(adding <iconv.h>)pthread_attr_getinheritsched
/pthread_attr_setinheritsched
/pthread_setschedprio
pthread_mutexattr_getprotocol
/pthread_mutexattr_setprotocol
(mutex priority inheritance)- <signal.h> support for
sigaction64_t
andsigset64_t
allowing LP32 access to real-time signals - <spawn.h>
swab
syncfs
New libc behavior in P (API level 28):
%C
and%S
support in the printf family (previously only the wprintf family supported these).%mc
/%ms
/%m[
support in the scanf family.%s
support in strptime (strftime already supported it).- Using a
pthread_mutex_t
after it's been destroyed will be detected at runtime and reported as a FORTIFY failure. - Passing a null
FILE*
orDIR*
to libc is now detected at runtime and reported as a FORTIFY failure.
New libc functions in O (API level 26):
sendto
FORTIFY support__system_property_read_callback
/__system_property_wait
- legacy
bsd_signal
catclose
/catgets
/catopen
(adding <nl_types.h>)ctermid
- all 6 <grp.h>/<pwd.h> (get|set|end)(gr|pw)ent functions
futimes
/futimesat
/lutimes
getdomainname
/setdomainname
getsubopt
hasmntopt
mallopt
mblen
- 4 <sys/msg.h>
msg*
functions - <langinfo.h>
nl_langinfo
/nl_langinfo_l
pthread_getname_np
- 2 new Linux system calls
quotactl
andsync_file_range
- 4 <sys/sem.h>
sem*
functions - 4 <sys/shm.h>
shm*
functions - 5 legacy <signal.h> functions:
sighold
/sigignore
/sigpause
/sigrelse
/sigset
strtod_l
/strtof_l
/strtol_l
/strtoul_l
- <wctype.h>
towctrans
/towctrans_l
/wctrans
/wctrans_l
New libc behavior in O (API level 26):
- Passing an invalid
pthread_t
to libc is now detected at runtime and reported as a FORTIFY failure. Most commonly this is a result of confusingpthread_t
andpid_t
.
New libc functions in N (API level 24):
- more FORTIFY support functions (
fread
/fwrite
/getcwd
/pwrite
/write
) - all remaining
_FILE_OFFSET_BITS=64
functions, completing_FILE_OFFSET_BITS=64
support in bionic (8) - all 7
pthread_barrier*
functions - all 5
pthread_spin*
functions lockf
/preadv
/pwritev
/scandirat
andoff64_t
variantsadjtimex
/clock_adjtime
- <ifaddrs.h>
getifaddrs
/freeifaddrs
/if_freenameindex
/if_nameindex
getgrgid_r
/getgrnam_r
- GNU extensions
fileno_unlocked
/strchrnul
- 32-bit
prlimit
New libc behavior in N (API level 24):
sem_wait
now returns EINTR when interrupted by a signal.
New libc functions in M (API level 23):
- <dirent.h>
telldir
,seekdir
. - <malloc.h>
malloc_info
. - <netdb.h>
gethostbyaddr_r
,gethostbyname2_r
. - <pthread.h>
pthread_rwlockattr_getkind_np
/pthread_rwlockattr_setkind_np
. - <pty.h>
forkpty
,openpty
. - <signal.h>
sigqueue
,sigtimedwait
,sigwaitinfo
. - <stdio.h>
fmemopen
,open_memstream
,feof_unlocked
,ferror_unlocked
,clearerr_unlocked
. - <stdio_ext.h>
__flbf
,__freadable
,__fsetlocking
,__fwritable
,__fbufsize
,__fpending
,_flushlbf
,__fpurge
. - <stdlib.h>
mkostemp
/mkostemps
,lcong48
. - <string.h>
basename
,strerror_l
,strerror_r
,mempcpy
. - <sys/sysinfo.h>
get_nprocs_conf
/get_nprocs
,get_phys_pages
,get_avphys_pages
. - <sys/uio.h>
process_vm_readv
/process_vm_writev
. clock_getcpuclockid
,login_tty
,mkfifoat
,posix_madvise
,sethostname
,strcasecmp_l
/strncasecmp_l
.- <wchar.h>
open_wmemstream
,wcscasecmp_l
/wcsncasecmp_l
,wmempcpy
. - all of <error.h>.
- re-introduced various <resolv.h> functions:
ns_format_ttl
,ns_get16
,ns_get32
,ns_initparse
,ns_makecanon
,ns_msg_getflag
,ns_name_compress
,ns_name_ntol
,ns_name_ntop
,ns_name_pack
,ns_name_pton
,ns_name_rollback
,ns_name_skip
,ns_name_uncompress
,ns_name_unpack
,ns_parserr
,ns_put16
,ns_put32
,ns_samename
,ns_skiprr
,ns_sprintrr
, andns_sprintrrf
.
New libc functions in L (API level 21):
- <android/dlext.h>.
- <android/set_abort_message.h>.
- <arpa/inet.h>
inet_lnaof
,inet_netof
,inet_network
,inet_makeaddr
. - <wctype.h>
iswblank
. - <ctype.h>
isalnum_l
,isalpha_l
,isblank_l
,icntrl_l
,isdigit_l
,isgraph_l
,islower_l
,isprint_l
,ispunct_l
,isspace_l
,isupper_l
,isxdigit_l
,_tolower
,tolower_l
,_toupper
,toupper_l
. - <fcntl.h>
fallocate
,posix_fadvise
,posix_fallocate
,splice
,tee
,vmsplice
. - <inttypes.h>
wcstoimax
,wcstoumax
. - <link.h>
dl_iterate_phdr
. - <mntent.h>
setmntent
,endmntent
,getmntent_r
. - <poll.h>
ppoll
. - <pthread.h>
pthread_condattr_getclock
,pthread_condattr_setclock
,pthread_mutex_timedlock
,pthread_gettid_np
. - <sched.h>
setns
. - <search.h>
insque
,remque
,lfind
,lsearch
,twalk
. - <stdio.h>
dprintf
,vdprintf
. - <stdlib.h>
initstate
,setstate
,getprogname
/setprogname
,atof
/strtof
,at_quick_exit
/_Exit
/quick_exit
,grantpt
,mbtowc
/wctomb
,posix_openpt
,rand_r
/rand
/random
/srand
/srandom
,strtold_l
/strtoll_l
/strtoull_l
. - <string.h>
strcoll_l
/strxfrm_l
,stpcpy
/stpncpy
. - <sys/resource.h>
prlimit
. - <sys/socket.h>
accept4
,sendmmsg
. - <sys/stat.h>
mkfifo
/mknodat
. - <time.h>
strftime_l
. - <unistd.h>
dup3
,execvpe
,getpagesize
,linkat
/symlinkat
/readlinkat
,truncate
. - <wchar.h>
wcstof
,vfwscanf
/vswscanf
/vwscanf
,wcstold_l
/wcstoll
/wcstoll_l
/wcstoull
/wcstoull_l
,mbsnrtowcs
/wcsnrtombs
,wcscoll_l
/wcsxfrm_l
. - <wctype.h>
iswalnum_l
/iswalpha_l
/iswblank_l
/iswcntrl_l
/iswctype_l
/iswdigit_l
/iswgraph_l
/iswlower_l
/iswprint_l
/iswpunct_l
/iswspace_l
/iswupper_l
/iswxdigit_l
,wctype_l
,towlower_l
/towupper_l
. - all of <fts.h>.
- all of <locale.h>.
- all of <sys/epoll.h>.
- all of <sys/fsuid.h>.
- all of <sys/inotify.h>.
- all of <uchar.h>.
New libc functions in K (API level 19):
- <inttypes.h>
imaxabs
,imaxdiv
. - <stdlib.h>
abs
,labs
,llabs
. - <sys/stat.h>
futimens
. - all of <sys/statvfs.h>.
- all of <sys/swap.h>.
- all of <sys/timerfd.h>.
New libc functions in J-MR2 (API level 18):
- <stdio.h>
getdelim
andgetline
. - <sys/auxv.h>
getauxval
. - <sys/signalfd.h>
signalfd
.
New libc functions in J-MR1 (API level 17):
- <ftw.h>.
- <signal.h>
psiginfo
andpsignal
. getsid
,malloc_usable_size
,mlockall
/munlockall
,posix_memalign
,unshare
.
New libc functions in J (API level 16):
- the <search.h> tree functions
tdelete
,tdestroy
,tfind
, andtsearch
. faccessat
,readahead
,tgkill
.- all of <sys/xattr.h>.
libc function count over time:
OS | API level | Function count |
---|---|---|
J | 16 | 842 |
J MR1 | 17 | 870 |
J MR2 | 18 | 878 |
K | 19 | 893 |
L | 21 | 1118 |
M | 23 | 1183 |
N | 24 | 1228 |
O | 26 | 1280 |
P | 28 | 1378 |
Q | 29 | 1394 |
Data collected by:
ndk-r21$ for i in `ls -1v platforms/android-*/arch-arm/usr/lib/libc.so` ; do \
echo $i; nm $i | grep -w T | wc -l ; done
Current libm symbols: https://android.googlesource.com/platform/bionic/+/main/libm/libm.map.txt
0 remaining missing C11/POSIX libm functions.
New libm functions in O (API level 26):
- <complex.h>
clog
/clogf
,cpow
/cpowf
functions.
New libm functions in M (API level 23):
- <complex.h>
cabs
,carg
,cimag
,cacos
,cacosh
,casin
,casinh
,catan
,catanh
,ccos
,ccosh
,cexp
,conj
,cproj
,csin
,csinh
,csqrt
,ctan
,ctanh
,creal
,cabsf
,cargf
,cimagf
,cacosf
,cacoshf
,casinf
,casinhf
,catanf
,catanhf
,ccosf
,ccoshf
,cexpf
,conjf
,cprojf
,csinf
,csinhf
,csqrtf
,ctanf
,ctanhf
,crealf
,cabsl
,cprojl
,csqrtl
. - <math.h>
lgammal_r
.
New libm functions in L (API level 21):
- <complex.h>
cabsl
,cprojl
,csqrtl
. - <math.h>
isinf
,significandl
.
New libm functions in J-MR2 (API level 18):
- <math.h>
log2
,log2f
.
Most bionic bug fixes and improvements have been made without checks for
the app's targetSdkVersion
. As of O there were exactly two exceptions,
but there are likely to be more in future because of Project Treble.
As part of a long-term goal to remove the global thread list,
and in an attempt to flush out racy code, we changed how an invalid
pthread_t
is handled. For pthread_detach
, pthread_getcpuclockid
,
pthread_getschedparam
/pthread_setschedparam
, pthread_join
, and
pthread_kill
, instead of returning ESRCH when passed an invalid
pthread_t
, if you're targeting O or above, they'll abort with the
message "attempt to use invalid pthread_t".
Note that this doesn't change behavior as much as you might think: the
old lookup only held the global thread list lock for the duration of
the lookup, so there was still a race between that and the dereference
in the caller, given that callers actually need the tid to pass to some
syscall or other, and sometimes update fields in the pthread_internal_t
struct too.
We can't check a thread's tid against 0 to see whether a pthread_t
is still valid because a dead thread gets its thread struct unmapped
along with its stack, so the dereference isn't safe.
To fix your code, taking the affected functions one by one:
-
pthread_getcpuclockid
andpthread_getschedparam
/pthread_setschedparam
should be fine. Unsafe calls to those seem highly unlikely. -
Unsafe
pthread_detach
callers probably want to switch topthread_attr_setdetachstate
instead, or usepthread_detach(pthread_self());
from the new thread's start routine rather than calling detach in the parent. -
pthread_join
calls should be safe anyway, because a joinable thread won't actually exit and unmap until it's joined. If you're joining an unjoinable thread, the fix is to stop marking it detached. If you're joining an already-joined thread, you need to rethink your design! -
Unsafe
pthread_kill
calls aren't portably fixable. (And are obviously inherently non-portable as-is.) The best alternative on Android is to usepthread_gettid_np
at some point that you know the thread to be alive, and then callkill
/tgkill
with signal 0 (which checks whether a process exists rather than actually sending a signal). That's still not completely safe because if you're too late the tid may have been reused, but your code is inherently unsafe without a redesign anyway.
POSIX says that sem_wait
can be interrupted by delivery of a
signal. This wasn't historically true in Android, and when we fixed this
bug we found that existing code relied on the old behavior. To preserve
compatibility, sem_wait
can only return EINTR on Android if the app
targets N or later.
The _FORTIFY_SOURCE
macro can be used to enable extra
automatic bounds checking for common libc functions. If a buffer
overrun is detected, the program is safely aborted as in this
example.
Note that in recent releases Android's FORTIFY has been extended to
cover other issues. It can now detect, for example, passing O_CREAT
to open(2) without specifying a mode. It also performs some checking
regardless of whether the caller was built with FORTIFY enabled. In P,
for example, calling a pthread_mutex_
function on a destroyed mutex,
calling a <dirent.h>
function on a null pointer, using %n
with the
printf(3) family, or using the scanf(3) m
modifier incorrectly will
all result in FORTIFY failures even for code not built with FORTIFY.
More background information is available in our FORTIFY in Android blog post.
The Android platform is built with -D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=2
, but NDK users
need to manually enable FORTIFY by setting that themselves in whatever
build system they're using. The exact subset of FORTIFY available to
NDK users will depend on their target ABI level, because when a FORTIFY
check can't be guaranteed at compile-time, a call to a run-time _chk
function is added.