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.