SYSTEM(3S)                           SysV                           SYSTEM(3S)



NAME
     system - issue a shell command

SYNOPSIS
     #include <stdlib.h>

     int system(string)
     const char *string;

DESCRIPTION
     The system function causes the string pointed to by string to be given to
     the command processor (sh(1)) as input, as if the string had been typed
     as a command at a terminal.  If string is a null pointer, system returns
     1 to indicate that a command processor is available.

     If system cannot exec /bin/sh, it tries to exec /com/sh.  If either exec
     is successful, the current process waits until the shell has completed,
     then returns the exit status of the shell.

FILES
     /bin/sh
     /com/sh

DIAGNOSTICS
     system returns 1 if given a null pointer.  If string is not null, system
     returns the exit status of the shell.

     system forks to create a child process that in turn exec's /bin/sh (or
     /com/sh) in order to execute string.  If the fork or exec fails, system
     returns a negative value and sets errno.

NOTES
     system was formerly declared in the header file stdio.h.

SEE ALSO
     exec(2), fork(2).
     sh(1) in the SysV Command Reference.
     sh in the Aegis Command Reference.