wait(C)                         19 June 1992                         wait(C)


 Name

    wait - await completion of background processes

 Syntax

    wait

 Description

    The wait command waits until all background processes started with an
    ampersand (&) have finished, and reports on abnormal terminations.

    wait is built in to csh and sh.

    Because the wait(S) system call must be executed in the parent process,
    the shell itself executes wait, without creating a new process.

 See also

    csh(C), sh(C)

 Notes

    Not all the processes of a pipeline with three or more stages are chil-
    dren of the shell, and thus cannot be waited for.

 Standards conformance

    wait is conformant with:

    AT&T SVID Issue 2;
    and X/Open Portability Guide, Issue 3, 1989.