From: thefed <fedzor@...>
Date: 2007-12-13T08:21:51+09:00
Subject: system(), syscall(), and Shells

Hello all

I have a rather quick question.

As a part of the ruby unix team, we need to be able to execute  
commands. One way to do this is through system. The other way is  
through syscall.

First: does a call of system() open up a new process in the current  
shell or does it make a system call? I tested this out with this  
command:

system('cat csh.cshrc | wc') and got back a legitimate response. I'm  
assuming, since I used pipelines, that this gets opened in a new  
shell. I am asking here just to be safe.

Second: How exactly do I use syscall() in Ruby? Partically using  
syscall for the exec command. I could get write to work, but not  
exec. Help?

I have researched using syscall, and have only found documentation  
for using it in C. C != Ruby # => true

Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Please notice the use of future instead of future conditional. This  
means that ALL help will be appreciated. Not just some.

Thanks,
Ari Brown
--------------------------------------------|
If you're not living on the edge,
then you're just wasting space.