exec() and system() system calls

Question

I do understand that while exec() does not return after it executes in Unix ,system() may or may not return depending on the situation.But can anyone explain why exec() system call does not return and also the differences between exec() and system() in Unix operating system

Solution

system() is equivalent to fork() + exec() + wait(); this means when a process run system() function it creates a new process and waits the end of this process. The new process executes the command in it's own environment, when it has finished the caller receives the signal child.

For further information man exec man system

"exec replaces the current process image with a new process image", this means when it exits the caller exits too as the caller has become the new process.

Comments

[Admin]

Note that system(3) is not a system call, it's a library function that itself makes a few system calls.

[Admin]

system() always returns.

[psusi]

There's a bit more to it than that. system() actually exec()s your default shell, and passes the string to it to process, so you can for instance, use a pipeline and other shell features.

[Charles Duffy]

@psusi, not the user's default shell; it always executes /bin/sh

[Charles Duffy]

That's what exec() does, not system().