Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!uwm.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!bria!mike
From: mike@bria.UUCP (mike.stefanik)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.programmer
Subject: Re: how to change parent environment?
Message-ID: <242@bria.UUCP>
Date: 4 May 91 04:50:22 GMT
References: <1991May2.194624.21819@kong.gsfc.nasa.gov>
Reply-To: uunet!bria!mike
Distribution: usa
Organization: MGI Group International, Los Angeles, CA
Lines: 22

In an article, njacobs@kong.gsfc.nasa.gov (Nick Jacobs - EOS) writes:
|How do you change the current working directory in a program, so
|that when the program is invoked from a shell, the cwd stays
|changed after the program exits?
|
|You can't do it with chdir(2) of course, because that only affects
|the current process.

Seems that you have answered your own question.  The current working
directory is unique to each process.  It is inherited in only one
direction -- parent to child. 

Yes, yes, you could go read the kernel namelist, search the proc table,
read and modify the u area of the parent.  Of course, it is unportable,
requires root privilege, subject to races with the kernel, and is
generally bletcherous.  So, that's not really an option -- is it?

-- 
Michael Stefanik, MGI Inc, Los Angeles | Opinions stated are never realistic
Title of the week: Systems Engineer    | UUCP: ...!uunet!bria!mike
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