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From: ransom@perelandra.austin.ibm.com (Jeff Peek)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.aix
Subject: vfork() (was Re: RS6000 questions/comments)
Summary: There is a vfork()
Keywords: compiler problems rs6000, vfork()
Message-ID: <8903@awdprime.UUCP>
Date: 28 Jun 91 16:34:54 GMT
References: <141@ssi.UUCP> <1991Jun27.221208.14845@kithrup.COM>
Sender: news@awdprime.UUCP
Distribution: usa
Organization: International Business Machines - Austin, TX
Lines: 21

In article <1991Jun27.221208.14845@kithrup.COM> sef@kithrup.COM (Sean Eric Fagan) writes:
>In article <141@ssi.UUCP> cjr@ssi.UUCP (Cris J. Rhea) writes:
>>* The rs6k like the u370 (that's the 3090) has no vfork().
>
>vfork() is a hack, although, I will admit, it does have its uses.  The only
>legitimate use of vfork() is that the child will execute before the parent.
>However, POSIX does not (yet?) have a vfork() like function; IBM may be
>waiting for POSIX to decide what to do before they add one.  (POSIX did
>have, last time I checked a draft, a proposal for a 'qfork()' which was
>almost-but-not-quite vfork().  So be it.)
>

There is a vfork() which is just a mapping to fork(), located in libbsd.a. The fork()
on the RISC System/6000 does have the parent do a swtch() allowing the child first 
chance to run.

-- 
Jeff Peek
AIX Operating System Architecture -- IBM Personal Systems Programming        
ransom@perelandra.austin.ibm.com 	VNET PEEK at AUSVMQ T/L 793-3935
Austin, TX