SYSTEM(3) BSD Library Functions Manual SYSTEM(3)NAMEsystem — 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 execut‐
ing the command, ignoring SIGINT and SIGQUIT, and blocking SIGCHLD.
If string is a NULL pointer, system() will return non-zero if the command
interpreter sh(1) is available, and zero if it is not.
The system() function returns the exit status of the shell, or -1 if the
wait(3) for the shell failed. A return value of 127 means the execution
of the shell failed.
SEE ALSOsh(1), execve(2), wait(2), popen(3)STANDARDS
The system() function conforms to ANSI X3.159-1989 (“ANSI C89”).
BSD June 4, 1993 BSD