Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!att!cbnewsi!npl
From: npl@cbnewsi.ATT.COM (nickolas.landsberg)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: Need help spawning a child
Summary: Historical Method
Message-ID: <352@cbnewsi.ATT.COM>
Date: 29 Jun 89 17:13:32 GMT
References: <1661@apt.UUCP> <873@cbnewsl.ATT.COM> <12131@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU> <945@cbnewsl.ATT.COM>
Distribution: usa
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 11


The old tried and true method (before SIGCLD) and which, I think, also
worked for BSD systems, was to run the processes as "grandchildren."
Parent does a fork() and a wait();
Child Does a fork() and an exit(); (init inherits grandchild)
Grandchild executes normally.

Since the "parent" waited for it's "child," no zombie there.
Since init inherits all "orphans," and also does wait()'s, no zombie
there either.  The length of time the parent wait()'s is minimal, since
the exit() out of the child occurs almost immediately.