Re: [boost] Child processes

From: Stefan Seefeld (seefeld_at_[hidden])
Date: 2004-06-22 16:34:57

Gregory Colvin wrote:

>>> But why do you need to reap the zombie?  I've implemented
>>> the java process control natives with no need for reaping.
>>
>>
>> I don't know how java deals with this but on posix platforms a 
>> sub-process
>> holds some resources that have to be claimed back by the parent process.
> 
> 
> Which you can do by waiting for the child.  If you need the exit value
> you might as well wait anyway, if you don't you create a thread to wait.

yes, this was my point. The platform you are on imposes how to clean up
sub-processes, not the language. So you (or the runtime environment) have to
deal with the resource management somehow.
In case you don't need the return status/value (which I would guess is
quite rare) you can do something similar to detaching a thread: you
create a new session for the subprocess (in fact, the subprocess in
question is then the grand-child of the parent process, i.e. the parent's
child process is gone and thus there is nothing to wait for).

Anyways, this is getting offtopic... The point I was trying to make was that
IMO you normally do want to reclaim dead child processes ('zombies'),
so any general solution should provide the means to do that.

Regards,
                Stefan