PTYSPAWN(8)

NAME
ptyspawn - run a program under a pty

SYNOPSIS

ptyspawn [-2] [-3] [-x] {subprogram} {args...}

DESCRIPTION

ptyspawn runs subprogram under a pty. ptyspawn will exit when subprogram exits, with the same exit code.

ptyspawn must be invoked with descriptor 4 pointing to the pty master, descriptor 5 pointing to the pty slave, and environment variable TTY giving the name of the pty slave. On POSIX systems, ptyspawn must not be a process group leader.

If subprogram stops, ptyspawn writes its stop signal, as a single byte, to descriptor 9, if descriptor 9 is open. When ptyspawn receives a SIGCONT signal, it sends SIGCONT to subprogram's process group.

subprogram will have descriptors 0, 1, and 2 pointing to the pty slave. Its controlling tty will be that pty. Descriptor 3 will point to /dev/tty. Descriptors 4, 5, and 9 will be closed. subprogram will be a process group leader.

OPTIONS

-2
    Preserve descriptor 2 in subprogram; do not replace it with the pty slave.

-3
    Preserve descriptor 3 in subprogram; do not replace it with /dev/tty.

-x
    Reserve the pty for exclusive use. This prevents all attempts to open the pty, even through /dev/tty.

HISTORY

ptyspawn was originally part of Daniel J. Bernstein's ptyget toolset in 1996.

AUTHOR

Original code and documentation by Daniel J. Bernstein. Documentation modernizations by Jonathan de Boyne Pollard.