Working with the Unix OS

Processes I
Although the processes appear to copy the source file twice as fast because they share the work load, the contents of
the target file depends on the order that the kernel scheduled the processes.
#include
char string[0] = "hello world";
main ()
{
int count, i;
int to_par[2], to_chil[2]; /* for pipes to parent, child */
char buf[256];
pipe(to_par);
pipe(to_chil);
if (fork() == 0)
{
/* child process executes here * /
close(O); /* close old standard input */
dup(to_chil[O]); /* dup pipe read to standard input */
close(1); /* close old standard output */
dup(to_par[l]); /* dup pipe write to standard out */
close(to_par[1]); /* close unnecessary pipe descriptors */
close(to_chil[O]);
close(to_par[O]);
close(to_chil[1]);
for (;;)
{
if((count == read (0, buf, sizeof(buf))) == 0)
exit();
write(O, buf, count);
}
}
/* parent process executes here * /
close(1); /* rearrange standard in, out */
dup(to_chi1[1]);
close(O);
dup(to_par[O]);
close(to_chil[1]);
close(to_par[O]);
close (to_chil[0]);
close(to_par[1]);
for (i = 0; i < 15; i++)
{
write(l, string, strlen(string));
read(O, buf, sizeof(buf));
}
}
Figure 23. Use of Pipe, Dup and Fork
The processes thus exchange messages over two pipes.
Signals
Signals inform processes of the occurrence of asynchronous events. Processes may send each other signals with the
"kill" system call.
Use of Signals:
! termination of a process
- "exit", "signal" death of child
! process induced exceptions
- access memory outside address space
! unrecoverable conditions
- running out of system resources
! unexpected error condition
- making non existent system call – writing a pipe that has no reader – illegal reference to "1seek"
! originating from process in user mode
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