SETPGID

Section: Linux Programmer's Manual (2)
Updated: 15 April 1995
Index Return to Main Contents
 

NAME

setpgid, getpgid, setpgrp, getpgrp - set/get process group  

SYNOPSIS

#include <unistd.h>

int setpgid(pid_t pid, pid_t pgid);
pid_t getpgid(pid_t pid);
int setpgrp(void);
pid_t getpgrp(void);  

DESCRIPTION

setpgid sets the process group ID of the process specified by pid to pgid. If pid is zero, the process ID of the current process is used. If pgid is zero, the process ID of the process specified by pid is used.

getpgid returns the process group ID of the process specified by pid. If pid is zero, the process ID of the current process is used.

In the Linux DLL 4.4.1 library, setpgrp simply calls setpgid(0,0).

getpgrp is equivalent to getpgid(0).

Process groups are used for distribution of signals, and by terminals to arbitrate requests for their input: processes that have the same process group as the terminal are foreground and may read, while others will block with a signal if they attempt to read.

These calls are thus used by programs such as csh(1) to create process groups in implementing job control. The TIOCGPGRP and TIOCSPGRP calls described in termios(4) are used to get/set the process group of the control terminal.  

RETURN VALUE

On success, setpgid and setpgrp return zero. On error, -1 is returned, and errno is set appropriately.

getpgid returns a process group on success. On error, -1 is returned, and errno is set appropriately.

getpgrp always returns the current process group.  

ERRORS

EINVAL
pgid is less than 0.
EPERM
Various permission violations.
ESRCH
pid does not match any process.
 

SEE ALSO

getuid(2), setsid(2), tcsetpgrp(3), termios(4)


 

Index

NAME
SYNOPSIS
DESCRIPTION
RETURN VALUE
ERRORS
SEE ALSO

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