SYSTEM(3)                 OpenBSD Programmer's Manual                SYSTEM(3)

NAME
     system - pass a command to the shell



SYNOPSIS
     #include <stdlib.h>

     int
     system(const char *string);

DESCRIPTION
     The system() function hands the argument string to the command inter-
     preter sh(1).  The calling process waits for the shell to finish execut-
     ing the command, ignoring SIGINT and SIGQUIT, and blocking SIGCHLD.

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

RETURN VALUES
     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 termi-
     nation status for a program that terminates with a call of exit(127).

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

STANDARDS
     The system() function conforms to ANSI X3.159-1989 (``ANSI C'') and IEEE
     Std1003.2-1992 (``POSIX.2'').

OpenBSD 2.6                      June 29, 1991                               1