MirBSD manpage: system(3)

SYSTEM(3)                  BSD Programmer's Manual                   SYSTEM(3)

NAME

     system - pass a command to the shell

SYNOPSIS

     #include <stdlib.h>

     int
     system(const char *string);

DESCRIPTION

     The system() function hands the argument string to the command inter-
     preter sh(1). The calling process waits for the shell to finish executing
     the command, ignoring SIGINT and SIGQUIT, and blocking SIGCHLD.

     If string is NULL, system() will return non-zero. Otherwise, system() re-
     turns the termination status of the shell in the format specified by
     waitpid(2).

RETURN VALUES

     If a child process cannot be created, or the termination status of the
     shell cannot be obtained, system() returns -1 and sets errno to indicate
     the error. If execution of the shell fails, system() returns the termina-
     tion status for a program that terminates with a call of exit(127).

SEE ALSO

     sh(1), execve(2), waitpid(2), popen(3)

STANDARDS

     The system() function conforms to ANSI X3.159-1989 ("ANSI C89") and IEEE
     Std 1003.2-1992 ("POSIX.2").

CAVEATS

     Never supply the system() function with a command containing any part of
     an unsanitized user-supplied string. Shell meta-characters present will
     be honored by the sh(1) command interpreter.

MirBSD #10-current              June 29, 1991                                1