System Error codes refer to error messages and error codes that programmers can use when their software is experiencing an issue. They can be displayed to the users of the computer system due to hardware or software issues, and even certain kinds of input by the user. System error codes are typically displayed as an acronym with a description of the error and the suggestion of what to do next.
These error codes can be seen on the Internet when a website isn’t available, or when there is an internal server issue, such as a data base issue. On a local machine it could be as simple as a “file too long” where the solution is changing the file’s name, or more complex such as “no disk space left.” In this scenario, you may need to shut down certain applications (to remove swap files) or erase data, or purchase an additional hard drive.
Other system problems can be as serious as “fatal error,” where a program has made the decision to stop and give up, or as mild as a signal that something isn’t right with an operation. Nearly every error that could be experienced on the GNU/Hurd system is reflected by an error code in the header file errno.
These errors can range from simple “text file busy” when an operation attempts to modify a read-only file to the complex “broken pipeline.” These errors can also indicate that the function trying to work on the resource was disrupted by a SIGPIPE signal, and is not being addressed.