Re: fork; execve --> defunct process.

[Mats Weber <matsw@mail.com>]

"Bobby D. Bryant" wrote:
> 
> I am trying to get a program to start a second job.  I import fork() and
> execve() from C, and the calls apparently work OK (i.e., the fork
> returns a legitimate PID, and the execve returns a non-negative status).

execve never returns if it succeeds. What are you doing between fork and
execve in the child ?

> However, the child process immediately(?) goes into "defunct" status.
> For example, if I try to run the testgtk program, the program's GUI
> never pops up, and a ps x shows:

defunct means that the process is finished, but its parent does not know
yet. To avoid defunct processes, you must do a waitpid for the child in
the parent.