LIBVSHADOW(3)

NAME
libvshadow.h - Library to access the Volume Shadow Snapshot (VSS) format

SYNOPSIS
#include <libvshadow.h>

Support functions
const char *
libvshadow_get_version(
void
);
int
libvshadow_get_access_flags_read(
void
);
int
libvshadow_get_codepage(
int *codepage
, libvshadow_error_t **error
);
int
libvshadow_set_codepage(
int codepage
, libvshadow_error_t **error
);
int
libvshadow_check_volume_signature(
const char *filename
, libvshadow_error_t **error
);

Available when compiled with wide character string support:
int
libvshadow_check_volume_signature_wide(
const wchar_t *filename
, libvshadow_error_t **error
);

Available when compiled with libbfio support:
int
libvshadow_check_volume_signature_file_io_handle(
libbfio_handle_t *file_io_handle
, libvshadow_error_t **error
);

Notify functions
void
libvshadow_notify_set_verbose(
int verbose
);
int
libvshadow_notify_set_stream(
FILE *stream
, libvshadow_error_t **error
);
int
libvshadow_notify_stream_open(
const char *filename
, libvshadow_error_t **error
);
int
libvshadow_notify_stream_close(
libvshadow_error_t **error
);

Error functions
void
libvshadow_error_free(
libvshadow_error_t **error
);
int
libvshadow_error_fprint(
libvshadow_error_t *error
, FILE *stream
);
int
libvshadow_error_sprint(
libvshadow_error_t *error
, char *string
, size_t size
);
int
libvshadow_error_backtrace_fprint(
libvshadow_error_t *error
, FILE *stream
);
int
libvshadow_error_backtrace_sprint(
libvshadow_error_t *error
, char *string
, size_t size
);

Volume functions
int
libvshadow_volume_initialize(
libvshadow_volume_t **volume
, libvshadow_error_t **error
);
int
libvshadow_volume_free(
libvshadow_volume_t **volume
, libvshadow_error_t **error
);
int
libvshadow_volume_signal_abort(
libvshadow_volume_t *volume
, libvshadow_error_t **error
);
int
libvshadow_volume_open(
libvshadow_volume_t *volume
, const char *filename
, int access_flags
, libvshadow_error_t **error
);
int
libvshadow_volume_close(
libvshadow_volume_t *volume
, libvshadow_error_t **error
);
int
libvshadow_volume_get_size(
libvshadow_volume_t *volume
, size64_t *size
, libvshadow_error_t **error
);
int
libvshadow_volume_get_number_of_stores(
libvshadow_volume_t *volume
, int *number_of_stores
, libvshadow_error_t **error
);
int
libvshadow_volume_get_store(
libvshadow_volume_t *volume
, int store_index
, libvshadow_store_t **store
, libvshadow_error_t **error
);
int
libvshadow_volume_get_store_identifier(
libvshadow_volume_t *volume
, int store_index
, uint8_t *guid
, size_t size
, libvshadow_error_t **error
);

Available when compiled with wide character string support:
int
libvshadow_volume_open_wide(
libvshadow_volume_t *volume
, const wchar_t *filename
, int access_flags
, libvshadow_error_t **error
);

Available when compiled with libbfio support:
int
libvshadow_volume_open_file_io_handle(
libvshadow_volume_t *volume
, libbfio_handle_t *file_io_handle
, int access_flags
, libvshadow_error_t **error
);

Store functions
int
libvshadow_store_free(
libvshadow_store_t **store
, libvshadow_error_t **error
);
int
libvshadow_store_has_in_volume_data(
libvshadow_store_t *store
, libvshadow_error_t **error
);
ssize_t
libvshadow_store_read_buffer(
libvshadow_store_t *store
, void *buffer
, size_t buffer_size
, libvshadow_error_t **error
);
ssize_t
libvshadow_store_read_buffer_at_offset(
libvshadow_store_t *store
, void *buffer
, size_t buffer_size
, off64_t offset
, libvshadow_error_t **error
);
off64_t
libvshadow_store_seek_offset(
libvshadow_store_t *store
, off64_t offset
, int whence
, libvshadow_error_t **error
);
int
libvshadow_store_get_offset(
libvshadow_store_t *store
, off64_t *offset
, libvshadow_error_t **error
);
int
libvshadow_store_get_size(
libvshadow_store_t *store
, size64_t *size
, libvshadow_error_t **error
);
int
libvshadow_store_get_volume_size(
libvshadow_store_t *store
, size64_t *volume_size
, libvshadow_error_t **error
);
int
libvshadow_store_get_identifier(
libvshadow_store_t *store
, uint8_t *guid
, size_t size
, libvshadow_error_t **error
);
int
libvshadow_store_get_creation_time(
libvshadow_store_t *store
, uint64_t *filetime
, libvshadow_error_t **error
);
int
libvshadow_store_get_copy_identifier(
libvshadow_store_t *store
, uint8_t *guid
, size_t size
, libvshadow_error_t **error
);
int
libvshadow_store_get_copy_set_identifier(
libvshadow_store_t *store
, uint8_t *guid
, size_t size
, libvshadow_error_t **error
);
int
libvshadow_store_get_attribute_flags(
libvshadow_store_t *store
, uint32_t *attribute_flags
, libvshadow_error_t **error
);
int
libvshadow_store_get_number_of_blocks(
libvshadow_store_t *store
, int *number_of_blocks
, libvshadow_error_t **error
);
int
libvshadow_store_get_block_by_index(
libvshadow_store_t *store
, int block_index
, libvshadow_block_t **block
, libvshadow_error_t **error
);

Available when compiled with libbfio support:
ssize_t
libvshadow_store_read_buffer_from_file_io_handle(
libvshadow_store_t *store
, libbfio_handle_t *file_io_handle
, void *buffer
, size_t buffer_size
, libvshadow_error_t **error
);

Block functions
int
libvshadow_block_free(
libvshadow_block_t **block
, libvshadow_error_t **error
);
int
libvshadow_block_get_original_offset(
libvshadow_block_t *block
, off64_t *original_offset
, libvshadow_error_t **error
);
int
libvshadow_block_get_relative_offset(
libvshadow_block_t *block
, off64_t *relative_offset
, libvshadow_error_t **error
);
int
libvshadow_block_get_offset(
libvshadow_block_t *block
, off64_t *offset
, libvshadow_error_t **error
);
int
libvshadow_block_get_values(
libvshadow_block_t *block
, off64_t *original_offset
, off64_t *relative_offset
, off64_t *offset
, uint32_t *flags
, uint32_t *bitmap
, libvshadow_error_t **error
);

DESCRIPTION
The libvshadow_get_version() function is used to retrieve the library version.

RETURN VALUES
Most of the functions return NULL or -1 on error, dependent on the return type. For the actual return values see <libvshadow.h>.

ENVIRONMENT
None

FILES
None

NOTES
libvshadow can be compiled with wide character support (wchar_t).

To compile libvshadow with wide character support use: ./configure --enable-wide-character-type or define: _UNICODE or UNICODE during compilation.

LIBVSHADOW_WIDE_CHARACTER_TYPE in libvshadow/features.h can be used to determine if libvshadow was compiled with wide character support.

SEE ALSO
<libvshadow.h>

AUTHORS
Joachim Metz <joachim.metz@gmail.com>

BUGS
Please report bugs of any kind on the project issue tracker: https://github.com/libyal/libvshadow/issues

COPYRIGHT
Copyright (C) 2011-2026, Joachim Metz <joachim.metz@gmail.com>.

This is free software; see the source for copying conditions. There is NO warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.