man.bsd.lv manual page server

Manual Page Search Parameters
SYSTEM(3) Library Functions Manual SYSTEM(3)

system — pass a command to the shell

#include <stdlib.h>

int
system(const char *string);

The () 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 a NULL pointer, () will return non-zero if the command interpreter sh(1) is available, and zero if it is not.

The () function returns the exit status of the shell, or -1 if the wait(3) for the shell failed. A return value of 127 means the execution of the shell failed.

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

The system() function conforms to ANSI X3.159-1989 (“ANSI C89”).

4.4BSD-Lite2 June 4, 1993 SYSTEM(3)