Xref: utzoo comp.unix.questions:26850 comp.unix.shell:878
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!ub!uhura.cc.rochester.edu!rochester!kodak!ispd-newsserver!weimer
From: weimer@ssd.kodak.com (Gary Weimer)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions,comp.unix.shell
Subject: Re: exit value
Message-ID: <1990Nov13.160213.15743@ssd.kodak.com>
Date: 13 Nov 90 16:02:13 GMT
References: <1990Nov12.110248@cs.utwente.nl>
Sender: news@ssd.kodak.com
Organization: Eastman Kodak
Lines: 34

In article <1990Nov12.110248@cs.utwente.nl> stadt@cs.utwente.nl (Richard van de Stadt) writes:
>
> 
>How do I get the return value of a shell script or program that was 
>started (from a shell script) in the background?

First the example:

------------------------- CUT HERE ----------------------
#!/bin/csh -fb        #should also work with /bin/sh

rm not_a_real_file_to_get_error  >& /dev/null  # redirection necessary for
                                               # background processes
#this must be the very next statement
echo "status of rm was $status"  > /dev/tty    # could be redirected to
                                               # any file
------------------------- CUT HERE ----------------------

rm is just the command I chose (sp?), could be any program or script.

redirection necessary because background processes die if they try to
    access stdin or stdout.

$status is the important thing here. It contains the return value (exit
    status) of the last command executed.

you didn't specify how you wanted to "get" this value. Redirecting the
    echo to /dev/tty will print it to the console. Usually $status is
    used (at least I used it..) in a conditional statement (if, switch,
    etc.)

Hope this answers your (vague) question.

Gary Weimer