NAME    [Toc]    [Back]

     system - pass a command to the shell

SYNOPSIS    [Toc]    [Back]

     #include <stdlib.h>

     int
     system(const char *string);

DESCRIPTION    [Toc]    [Back]

     The system() function hands the argument string to the  command interpreter
  sh(1).   The  calling process waits for the shell to
finish executing
 the command, ignoring SIGINT and SIGQUIT,  and  blocking
SIGCHLD.

     If  string  is  NULL, system() will return non-zero.  Otherwise, system()
     returns the termination status of the shell  in  the  format
specified by
     waitpid(2).

RETURN VALUES    [Toc]    [Back]

     If  a  child  process  cannot be created, or the termination
status of the
     shell cannot be obtained, system() returns -1 and sets errno
to indicate
     the  error.   If  execution of the shell fails, system() returns the termination
 status for a program that terminates with a  call  of
exit(127).

SEE ALSO    [Toc]    [Back]

     sh(1), execve(2), waitpid(2), popen(3)

STANDARDS    [Toc]    [Back]

     The  system()  function conforms to ANSI X3.159-1989 (``ANSI
C'') and IEEE
     Std 1003.2-1992 (``POSIX.2'').

CAVEATS    [Toc]    [Back]

     Never supply the system() function with a command containing
any part of
     an  unsanitized user-supplied string.  Shell meta-characters
present will
     be honored by the sh(1) command interpreter.

OpenBSD     3.6                           June      29,      1991