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From: lance@mpd.tandem.com (Lance Hartmann)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.aix
Subject: Re: vfork() (was Re: RS6000 questions/comments)
Summary: vfork() usage
Keywords: compiler problems rs6000, vfork()
Message-ID: <351@devnull.mpd.tandem.com>
Date: 28 Jun 91 19:42:41 GMT
References: <141@ssi.UUCP> <1991Jun27.221208.14845@kithrup.COM> <8903@awdprime.UUCP>
Sender: news@devnull.mpd.tandem.com
Distribution: usa
Organization: Tandem Computers (MPD) Austin, TX
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In article <8903@awdprime.UUCP> ransom@perelandra.austin.ibm.com (Jeff Peek) writes:
>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.
>>[REMAINDER DELETED]

"...only legitimate use...child will execute before parent"???  The MAIN reason
to use vfork() is when it is desired to spawn a child that does nothing
but an execve().  With this scenario, it is unnecessary to copy the
address space of the parent, so using vfork() is much more efficient.
Also, don't forget to use _exit() (note the leading underscore '_') INSTEAD
of exit() in the event the execve() fails so that you don't hose the parent's
stdio.
-- 
Lance G. Hartmann - cs.utexas.edu!devnull!lance (Internet)
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