Path: utzoo!utgpu!cunews!bnrgate!brtph3!brchh104!brchs1!bnr.ca!rice.edu!sun-spots-request
From: wietse@wzv.win.tue.nl (Wietse Venema)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun
Subject: Re: Problem with system() when using lots of memory
Keywords: Miscellaneous
Message-ID: <1723@brchh104.bnr.ca>
Date: 21 Feb 91 20:15:00 GMT
Sender: news@brchh104.bnr.ca
Organization: Sun-Spots
Lines: 21
Approved: Sun-Spots@rice.edu
X-Original-Date: Fri, 15 Feb 91 09:31:27 +0100
X-Refs:  Original: v10n39
X-Sun-Spots-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 46, message 2
X-Note: Submissions: sun-spots@rice.edu, Admin: sun-spots-request@rice.edu

In article <1641@brchh104.bnr.ca> david@marshal.gca-prism writes:

>We have been having problems using the system() function with programs
>that are particularly memory hoggish.  

Workaround: open a pipe to the shell before your process gets big:

	FILE *fp, *popen();
	 .
	 .
	if ((fp = popen("/bin/sh", "w")) == 0)
		oops!

Then write commands to the shell like:

	fprintf(fp, "%s\n", whatever...);
	fflush(fp);

Don't forget fflush() or things will reach the shell much later than intended.

	Wietse Venema


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