alarm(2)                  SYSTEM CALLS                   alarm(2)



NAME
     alarm - set a process alarm clock

SYNOPSIS
     #include <unistd.h>

     unsigned alarm(unsigned sec);

DESCRIPTION
     alarm instructs the alarm clock of the  calling  process  to
     send  the  signal  SIGALRM  to the calling process after the
     number of real time seconds specified by  sec  have  elapsed
     [see signal(2)].

     Alarm requests are not stacked; successive calls  reset  the
     alarm clock of the calling process.

     If sec is 0, any previously made alarm request is  canceled.
     fork  sets  the  alarm  clock  of  a  new  process to 0 [see
     fork(2)].  A process created by the exec family of  routines
     inherits the time left on the old process's alarm clock.

SEE ALSO
     fork(2), exec(2), pause(2), signal(2), sigset(2).

DIAGNOSTICS
     alarm returns the amount of time previously remaining in the
     alarm clock of the calling process.



























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