Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!auspex!guy
From: guy@auspex.auspex.com (Guy Harris)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: shell in programs
Message-ID: <5302@auspex.auspex.com>
Date: 16 Jan 91 19:55:42 GMT
References: <346@bria> <5236@auspex.auspex.com> <371@ddmt.dla.mil>
Distribution: na
Organization: Auspex Systems, Santa Clara
Lines: 9

>Another advantage to *not* using system() is
>  "There is an enormous amount of overhead associated with each system
>   call. The starting program has to fork and exec the shell, and then
>   the shell has to fork and exec the requested program..." [1]

Yes, but if the person wants to run an arbitrary shell command - and
that's what it sounded like the original poster wanted to do - you have
to run the shell anyway (or precisely duplicate its actions, which seems
like a waste).