#!/usr/bin/env python
# test1.py

from __future__ import division, print_function
from ctypes import *
import os

lib = CDLL('/lib/libc.so.6', use_errno=True)

STRING = c_char_p
size_t = c_uint
ssize_t = c_int

# Variant 1:
lib.getxattr.restype = ssize_t
lib.getxattr.argtypes = [STRING, STRING, c_void_p, size_t]
getxattr = lib.getxattr

# Variant 2:
#getxattr = CFUNCTYPE(ssize_t, STRING, STRING, c_void_p, size_t, use_errno=True)(lib.getxattr)

bufsize = 42
path = '/does/not/exist'
name = 'attribute'
buf = create_string_buffer(bufsize)
ret = getxattr(path, name, buf, bufsize)
if ret < 0:
    err = get_errno()
    raise OSError(err, os.strerror(err), path)