daemon (3)

DAEMON(3) Linux Programmer's Manual DAEMON(3) NAME daemon - run in the background SYNOPSIS #include <unistd.h> int daemon(int nochdir, int noclose); Feature Test Macro Requirements for glibc (see feature_test_macros(7)): daemon(): _BSD_SOURCE || (_XOPEN_SOURCE && _XOPEN_SOURCE < 500) DESCRIPTION The daemon() function is for programs wishing to detach themselves from the controlling terminal and run in the background as system daemons. Unless the argument nochdir is non-zero, daemon() changes the current working directory to the root ("/"). Unless the argument noclose is non-zero, daemon() will redirect stan- dard input, standard output and standard error to /dev/null. RETURN VALUE (This function forks, and if the fork(2) succeeds, the parent calls _exit(2), so that further errors are seen by the child only.) On suc- cess zero will be returned. If an error occurs, daemon() returns -1 and sets the global variable errno to any of the errors specified for the fork(2) and setsid(2). CONFORMING TO Not in POSIX.1-2001. A similar function appears on the BSDs. The dae- mon() function first appeared in 4.4BSD. NOTES The glibc implementation can also return -1 when /dev/null exists but is not a character device with the expected major and minor numbers. In this case errno need not be set. SEE ALSO fork(2), setsid(2) GNU 2007-07-26 DAEMON(3)