Thread: New Process

  1. #1
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    New Process

    Code:
    for (int i = 0 ; i <5;i++)
     execl ("/bin/ls", "ls")
    For some reason execl only runs once, why is that ?

  2. #2
    Deathray Engineer MacGyver's Avatar
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    Because you're not creating a new process. You're trashing the current one to run the executable you're asking it to run.

    Hint: fork().

  3. #3
    and the hat of int overfl Salem's Avatar
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    Also, it should be
    execl( "/bin/ls", "ls", (char*)NULL );
    If you dance barefoot on the broken glass of undefined behaviour, you've got to expect the occasional cut.
    If at first you don't succeed, try writing your phone number on the exam paper.

  4. #4
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    Got it, thanks.
    Another question:
    How can I calculate the time each process took to complete? I am o linux and the clock() function does not work.

    I basicly have something like this:
    Code:
    ...
    for (int i = 0 ; i <5;i++) {
    pid = fork ();
    if (pid == 0)
         execl( "/bin/ls -R", "ls", (char*)NULL );
    }

  5. #5
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    What do you mean "clock doesn't work". What do you get back from clock()?

    It may not work if "ls" completes very quickly, because the time taken is shorter than one clock-tick, but otherwise I'm 100% sure that clock works.

    --
    Mats
    Compilers can produce warnings - make the compiler programmers happy: Use them!
    Please don't PM me for help - and no, I don't do help over instant messengers.

  6. #6
    and the hat of int overfl Salem's Avatar
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    > execl( "/bin/ls -R", "ls", (char*)NULL );
    No no no - execl doesn't parse arguments.
    Try
    execl( "/bin/ls", "ls", "-R", (char*)NULL );

    It's
    execl( path, argv0, argv1, argvn, (char*)NULL );
    If you dance barefoot on the broken glass of undefined behaviour, you've got to expect the occasional cut.
    If at first you don't succeed, try writing your phone number on the exam paper.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Salem View Post
    > execl( "/bin/ls -R", "ls", (char*)NULL );
    No no no - execl doesn't parse arguments.
    Try
    execl( "/bin/ls", "ls", "-R", (char*)NULL );

    It's
    execl( path, argv0, argv1, argvn, (char*)NULL );
    Uh, whats execl()? What does it do? Just asking for experience... o.O

  8. #8
    Deathray Engineer MacGyver's Avatar
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    For experience learn to google.

  9. #9
    Kernel hacker
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    man execl.

    Essentially it loads another binary into the current process and executes it.

    A similar function exists in MS environment, but it automatically starts a new process, rather than loading the binary into the same process.

    MSDN _execl

    --
    Mats
    Compilers can produce warnings - make the compiler programmers happy: Use them!
    Please don't PM me for help - and no, I don't do help over instant messengers.

  10. #10
    Deathray Engineer MacGyver's Avatar
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    That's really kind of stupid to name it after the Unix function and then make it behave differently. Why didn't they name it forkexecl() or something instead?

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by MacGyver View Post
    That's really kind of stupid to name it after the Unix function and then make it behave differently. Why didn't they name it forkexecl() or something instead?
    I agree - but it does have an underscore in the beginning, rather than the deprecated VC6 version that doesn't!

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    Mats
    Compilers can produce warnings - make the compiler programmers happy: Use them!
    Please don't PM me for help - and no, I don't do help over instant messengers.

  12. #12
    Cat without Hat CornedBee's Avatar
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    spawnl is the POSIX equivalent.
    All the buzzt!
    CornedBee

    "There is not now, nor has there ever been, nor will there ever be, any programming language in which it is the least bit difficult to write bad code."
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