## Spawning Processes

Spawning Processes — process launching with `fork()`/`exec()`.

## Synopsis

    #include <glib.h>

    enum        GSpawnError;
    #define     G_SPAWN_ERROR
    enum        GSpawnFlags;
    void        (*GSpawnChildSetupFunc)         (gpointer user_data);
    gboolean    g_spawn_async_with_pipes        (const gchar *working_directory,
                                                 gchar **argv,
                                                 gchar **envp,
                                                 GSpawnFlags flags,
                                                 GSpawnChildSetupFunc child_setup,
                                                 gpointer user_data,
                                                 gint *child_pid,
                                                 gint *standard_input,
                                                 gint *standard_output,
                                                 gint *standard_error,
                                                 GError **error);
    gboolean    g_spawn_async                   (const gchar *working_directory,
                                                 gchar **argv,
                                                 gchar **envp,
                                                 GSpawnFlags flags,
                                                 GSpawnChildSetupFunc child_setup,
                                                 gpointer user_data,
                                                 gint *child_pid,
                                                 GError **error);
    gboolean    g_spawn_sync                    (const gchar *working_directory,
                                                 gchar **argv,
                                                 gchar **envp,
                                                 GSpawnFlags flags,
                                                 GSpawnChildSetupFunc child_setup,
                                                 gpointer user_data,
                                                 gchar **standard_output,
                                                 gchar **standard_error,
                                                 gint *exit_status,
                                                 GError **error);
    gboolean    g_spawn_command_line_async      (const gchar *command_line,
                                                 GError **error);
    gboolean    g_spawn_command_line_sync       (const gchar *command_line,
                                                 gchar **standard_output,
                                                 gchar **standard_error,
                                                 gint *exit_status,
                                                 GError **error);

## Description

## Details

### enum GSpawnError

    typedef enum
    {
      G_SPAWN_ERROR_FORK,   /* fork failed due to lack of memory */
      G_SPAWN_ERROR_READ,   /* read or select on pipes failed */
      G_SPAWN_ERROR_CHDIR,  /* changing to working dir failed */
      G_SPAWN_ERROR_ACCES,  /* execv() returned EACCES */
      G_SPAWN_ERROR_PERM,   /* execv() returned EPERM */
      G_SPAWN_ERROR_2BIG,   /* execv() returned E2BIG */
      G_SPAWN_ERROR_NOEXEC, /* execv() returned ENOEXEC */
      G_SPAWN_ERROR_NAMETOOLONG, /* ""  "" ENAMETOOLONG */
      G_SPAWN_ERROR_NOENT,       /* ""  "" ENOENT */
      G_SPAWN_ERROR_NOMEM,       /* ""  "" ENOMEM */
      G_SPAWN_ERROR_NOTDIR,      /* ""  "" ENOTDIR */
      G_SPAWN_ERROR_LOOP,        /* ""  "" ELOOP   */
      G_SPAWN_ERROR_TXTBUSY,     /* ""  "" ETXTBUSY */
      G_SPAWN_ERROR_IO,          /* ""  "" EIO */
      G_SPAWN_ERROR_NFILE,       /* ""  "" ENFILE */
      G_SPAWN_ERROR_MFILE,       /* ""  "" EMFLE */
      G_SPAWN_ERROR_INVAL,       /* ""  "" EINVAL */
      G_SPAWN_ERROR_ISDIR,       /* ""  "" EISDIR */
      G_SPAWN_ERROR_LIBBAD,      /* ""  "" ELIBBAD */
      G_SPAWN_ERROR_FAILED       /* other fatal failure, error->message
                                  * should explain
                                  */
    } GSpawnError;

Error codes returned by spawning processes.

`G_SPAWN_ERROR_FORK` | Fork failed due to lack of memory.
`G_SPAWN_ERROR_READ` | Read or select on pipes failed.
`G_SPAWN_ERROR_CHDIR` | Changing to working directory failed.
`G_SPAWN_ERROR_ACCES` | `execv()` returned `EACCES`.
`G_SPAWN_ERROR_PERM` | `execv()` returned `EPERM`.
`G_SPAWN_ERROR_2BIG` | `execv()` returned `E2BIG`.
`G_SPAWN_ERROR_NOEXEC` | `execv()` returned `ENOEXEC`.
`G_SPAWN_ERROR_NAMETOOLONG` | `execv()` returned `ENAMETOOLONG`.
`G_SPAWN_ERROR_NOENT` | `execv()` returned `ENOENT`.
`G_SPAWN_ERROR_NOMEM` | `execv()` returned `ENOMEM`.
`G_SPAWN_ERROR_NOTDIR` | `execv()` returned `ENOTDIR`.
`G_SPAWN_ERROR_LOOP` | `execv()` returned `ELOOP`.
`G_SPAWN_ERROR_TXTBUSY` | `execv()` returned `ETXTBUSY`.
`G_SPAWN_ERROR_IO` | `execv()` returned `EIO`.
`G_SPAWN_ERROR_NFILE` | `execv()` returned `ENFILE`.
`G_SPAWN_ERROR_MFILE` | `execv()` returned `EMFILE`.
`G_SPAWN_ERROR_INVAL` | `execv()` returned `EINVAL`.
`G_SPAWN_ERROR_ISDIR` | `execv()` returned `EISDIR`.
`G_SPAWN_ERROR_LIBBAD` | `execv()` returned `ELIBBAD`.
`G_SPAWN_ERROR_FAILED` | Some other fatal failure, `error->message` should explain.

### G_SPAWN_ERROR

    #define G_SPAWN_ERROR g_spawn_error_quark ()

Error domain for spawning processes. Errors in this domain will be from the GSpawnError enumeration. See GError for information on error domains.

### enum GSpawnFlags

    typedef enum
    {
      G_SPAWN_LEAVE_DESCRIPTORS_OPEN = 1 << 0,
      G_SPAWN_DO_NOT_REAP_CHILD      = 1 << 1,
      /* look for argv[0] in the path i.e. use execvp() */
      G_SPAWN_SEARCH_PATH            = 1 << 2,
      /* Dump output to /dev/null */
      G_SPAWN_STDOUT_TO_DEV_NULL     = 1 << 3,
      G_SPAWN_STDERR_TO_DEV_NULL     = 1 << 4,
      G_SPAWN_CHILD_INHERITS_STDIN   = 1 << 5,
      G_SPAWN_FILE_AND_ARGV_ZERO     = 1 << 6
    } GSpawnFlags;

Flags passed to g_spawn_sync(), g_spawn_async() and g_spawn_async_with_pipes().

`G_SPAWN_LEAVE_DESCRIPTORS_OPEN` | the parent's open file descriptors will be inherited by the child; otherwise all descriptors except stdin/stdout/stderr will be closed before calling `exec()` in the child.
`G_SPAWN_DO_NOT_REAP_CHILD` | the child will not be automatically reaped; you must call `waitpid()` or handle `SIGCHLD` yourself, or the child will become a zombie.
`G_SPAWN_SEARCH_PATH` | `argv[0]` need not be an absolute path, it will be looked for in the user's `PATH`.
`G_SPAWN_STDOUT_TO_DEV_NULL` | the child's standad output will be discarded, instead of going to the same location as the parent's standard output.
`G_SPAWN_STDERR_TO_DEV_NULL` | the child's standard error will be discarded.
`G_SPAWN_CHILD_INHERITS_STDIN` | the child will inherit the parent's standard input (by default, the child's standard input is attached to `/dev/null`).
`G_SPAWN_FILE_AND_ARGV_ZERO` | the first element of `argv` is the file to execute, while the remaining elements are the actual argument vector to pass to the file. Normally g_spawn_async_with_pipes() uses `argv[0]` as the file to execute, and passes all of `argv` to the child.

### GSpawnChildSetupFunc ()

    void        (*GSpawnChildSetupFunc)         (gpointer user_data);

Specifies the type of the setup function passed to g_spawn_async(), g_spawn_sync() and g_spawn_async_with_pipes(). It is called in the child after GLib has performed all the setup it plans to perform but before calling `exec()`. Obviously, actions taken in this function will only affect the child, not the parent.

`user_data` : | user data to pass to the function.

### g_spawn_async_with_pipes ()

    gboolean    g_spawn_async_with_pipes        (const gchar *working_directory,
                                                 gchar **argv,
                                                 gchar **envp,
                                                 GSpawnFlags flags,
                                                 GSpawnChildSetupFunc child_setup,
                                                 gpointer user_data,
                                                 gint *child_pid,
                                                 gint *standard_input,
                                                 gint *standard_output,
                                                 gint *standard_error,
                                                 GError **error);

Executes a child program asynchronously (your program will not block waiting for the child to exit). The child program is specified by the only argument that must be provided, `argv`. `argv` should be a `NULL`-terminated array of strings, to be passed as the argument vector for the child. The first string in `argv` is of course the name of the program to execute. By default, the name of the program must be a full path; the `PATH` shell variable will only be searched if you pass the `G_SPAWN_SEARCH_PATH` flag.

On Windows, the low-level child process creation API (`CreateProcess()`)doesn't use argument vectors, but a command line. The C runtime library's `spawn*()` family of functions (which g_spawn_async_with_pipes() eventually calls) paste the argument vector elements into a command line, and the C runtime startup code does a corresponding recostruction of an argument vector from the command line, to be passed to `main()`. Complications arise when you have argument vector elements that contain spaces of double quotes. The `spawn()` functions don't do any quoting or escaping, but on the other hand the startup code does do unquoting and unescaping in order to enable receiving arguments with embedded spaces or double quotes. To work around this asymmetry, g_spawn_async_with_pipes() will do quoting and escaping on argument vector elements that need it before calling the C runtime `spawn()` function.

`envp` is a `NULL`-terminated array of strings, where each string has the form `KEY=VALUE`. This will become the child's environment. If `envp` is `NULL`, the child inherits its parent's environment.

`flags` should be the bitwise OR of any flags you want to affect the function's behavior. On Unix, the `G_SPAWN_DO_NOT_REAP_CHILD` means that the child will not be automatically reaped; you must call `waitpid()` or handle `SIGCHLD` yourself, or the child will become a zombie. On Windows, the flag means that a handle to the child will be returned `child_pid`. You must call `CloseHandle()` on it eventually (or exit the process), or the child processs will continue to take up some table space even after its death. Quite similar to zombies on Unix, actually.

`G_SPAWN_LEAVE_DESCRIPTORS_OPEN` means that the parent's open file descriptors will be inherited by the child; otherwise all descriptors except stdin/stdout/stderr will be closed before calling `exec()` in the child. `G_SPAWN_SEARCH_PATH` means that `argv[0]` need not be an absolute path, it will be looked for in the user's `PATH`. `G_SPAWN_STDOUT_TO_DEV_NULL` means that the child's standard output will be discarded, instead of going to the same location as the parent's standard output. If you use this flag, `standard_output` must be `NULL`. `G_SPAWN_STDERR_TO_DEV_NULL` means that the child's standard error will be discarded, instead of going to the same location as the parent's standard error. If you use this flag, `standard_error` must be `NULL`. `G_SPAWN_CHILD_INHERITS_STDIN` means that the child will inherit the parent's standard input (by default, the child's standard input is attached to /dev/null). If you use this flag, `standard_input` must be `NULL`. `G_SPAWN_FILE_AND_ARGV_ZERO` means that the first element of `argv` is the file to execute, while the remaining elements are the actual argument vector to pass to the file. Normally g_spawn_async_with_pipes() uses `argv`[0] as the file to execute, and passes all of `argv` to the child.

`child_setup` and `user_data` are a function and user data. On POSIX platforms, the function is called in the child after GLib has performed all the setup it plans to perform (including creating pipes, closing file descriptors, etc.) but before calling `exec()`. That is, `child_setup` is called just before calling `exec()` in the child. Obviously actions taken in this function will only affect the child, not the parent. On Windows, there is no separate `fork()` and `exec()` functionality. Child processes are created and run right away with one API call, `CreateProcess()`. `child_setup` is called in the parent process just before creating the child process. You should carefully consider what you do in `child_setup` if you intend your software to be portable to Windows.

If non-`NULL`, `child_pid` will on Unix be filled with the child's process ID. You can use the process ID to send signals to the child, or to `waitpid()` if you specified the `G_SPAWN_DO_NOT_REAP_CHILD` flag. On Windows, `child_pid` will be filled with a handle to the child process only if you specified the `G_SPAWN_DO_NOT_REAP_CHILD` flag. You can then access the child process using the Win32 API, for example wait for its termination with the `WaitFor*()` functions, or examine its exit code with `GetExitCodeProcess()`. You should close the handle with `CloseHandle()` when you no longer need it.

If non-`NULL`, the `standard_input`, `standard_output`, `standard_error` locations will be filled with file descriptors for writing to the child's standard input or reading from its standard output or standard error. The caller of g_spawn_async_with_pipes() must close these file descriptors when they are no longer in use. If these parameters are `NULL`, the corresponding pipe won't be created.

If `standard_input` is NULL, the child's standard input is attached to /dev/null unless `G_SPAWN_CHILD_INHERITS_STDIN` is set.

If `standard_error` is NULL, the child's standard error goes to the same location as the parent's standard error unless `G_SPAWN_STDERR_TO_DEV_NULL` is set.

If `standard_output` is NULL, the child's standard output goes to the same location as the parent's standard output unless `G_SPAWN_STDOUT_TO_DEV_NULL` is set.

`error` can be `NULL` to ignore errors, or non-`NULL` to report errors. If an error is set, the function returns `FALSE`. Errors are reported even if they occur in the child (for example if the executable in `argv[0]` is not found). Typically the `message` field of returned errors should be displayed to users. Possible errors are those from the G_SPAWN_ERROR domain.

If an error occurs, `child_pid`, `standard_input`, `standard_output`, and `standard_error` will not be filled with valid values.

`working_directory` : | child's current working directory, or `NULL` to inherit parent's
`argv` : | child's argument vector
`envp` : | child's environment, or `NULL` to inherit parent's
`flags` : | flags from GSpawnFlags
`child_setup` : | function to run in the child just before `exec()`
`user_data` : | user data for `child_setup`
`child_pid` : | return location for child process ID, or `NULL`
`standard_input` : | return location for file descriptor to write to child's stdin, or `NULL`
`standard_output` : | return location for file descriptor to read child's stdout, or `NULL`
`standard_error` : | return location for file descriptor to read child's stderr, or `NULL`
`error` : | return location for error
Returns : | `TRUE` on success, `FALSE` if an error was set

### g_spawn_async ()

    gboolean    g_spawn_async                   (const gchar *working_directory,
                                                 gchar **argv,
                                                 gchar **envp,
                                                 GSpawnFlags flags,
                                                 GSpawnChildSetupFunc child_setup,
                                                 gpointer user_data,
                                                 gint *child_pid,
                                                 GError **error);

See g_spawn_async_with_pipes() for a full description; this function simply calls the g_spawn_async_with_pipes() without any pipes.

`working_directory` : | child's current working directory, or `NULL` to inherit parent's
`argv` : | child's argument vector
`envp` : | child's environment, or `NULL` to inherit parent's
`flags` : | flags from GSpawnFlags
`child_setup` : | function to run in the child just before `exec()`
`user_data` : | user data for `child_setup`
`child_pid` : | return location for child process ID, or `NULL`
`error` : | return location for error
Returns : | `TRUE` on success, `FALSE` if error is set

### g_spawn_sync ()

    gboolean    g_spawn_sync                    (const gchar *working_directory,
                                                 gchar **argv,
                                                 gchar **envp,
                                                 GSpawnFlags flags,
                                                 GSpawnChildSetupFunc child_setup,
                                                 gpointer user_data,
                                                 gchar **standard_output,
                                                 gchar **standard_error,
                                                 gint *exit_status,
                                                 GError **error);

Executes a child synchronously (waits for the child to exit before returning). All output from the child is stored in `standard_output` and `standard_error`, if those parameters are non-`NULL`. If `exit_status` is non-`NULL`, the exit status of the child is stored there as it would be returned by `waitpid()`; standard UNIX macros such as `WIFEXITED()` and `WEXITSTATUS()` must be used to evaluate the exit status. If an error occurs, no data is returned in `standard_output`, `standard_error`, or `exit_status`.

This function calls g_spawn_async_with_pipes() internally; see that function for full details on the other parameters.

`working_directory` : | child's current working directory, or `NULL` to inherit parent's
`argv` : | child's argument vector
`envp` : | child's environment, or `NULL` to inherit parent's
`flags` : | flags from GSpawnFlags
`child_setup` : | function to run in the child just before `exec()`
`user_data` : | user data for `child_setup`
`standard_output` : | return location for child output
`standard_error` : | return location for child error messages
`exit_status` : | child exit status, as returned by `waitpid()`
`error` : | return location for error
Returns : | `TRUE` on success, `FALSE` if an error was set.

### g_spawn_command_line_async ()

    gboolean    g_spawn_command_line_async      (const gchar *command_line,
                                                 GError **error);

A simple version of g_spawn_async() that parses a command line with g_shell_parse_argv() and passes it to g_spawn_async(). Runs a command line in the background. Unlike g_spawn_async(), the `G_SPAWN_SEARCH_PATH` flag is enabled, other flags are not. Note that `G_SPAWN_SEARCH_PATH` can have security implications, so consider using g_spawn_async() directly if appropriate. Possible errors are those from g_shell_parse_argv() and g_spawn_async().

The same concerns on Windows apply as for g_spawn_command_line_sync().

`command_line` : | a command line
`error` : | return location for errors
Returns : | `TRUE` on success, `FALSE` if error is set.

### g_spawn_command_line_sync ()

    gboolean    g_spawn_command_line_sync       (const gchar *command_line,
                                                 gchar **standard_output,
                                                 gchar **standard_error,
                                                 gint *exit_status,
                                                 GError **error);

A simple version of g_spawn_sync() with little-used parameters removed, taking a command line instead of an argument vector. See g_spawn_sync() for full details. `command_line` will be parsed by g_shell_parse_argv(). Unlike g_spawn_sync(), the `G_SPAWN_SEARCH_PATH` flag is enabled. Note that `G_SPAWN_SEARCH_PATH` can have security implications, so consider using g_spawn_sync() directly if appropriate. Possible errors are those from g_spawn_sync() and those from g_shell_parse_argv().

On Windows, please note the implications of g_shell_parse_argv() parsing `command_line`. Space is a separator, and backslashes are special. Thus you cannot simply pass a `command_line` containing canonical Windows paths, like "c:\\program files\\app\\app.exe", as the backslashes will be eaten, and the space will act as a separator. You need to enclose such paths with single quotes, like "'c:\\program files\\app\\app.exe' 'e:\\folder\\argument.txt'".

`command_line` : | a command line
`standard_output` : | return location for child output
`standard_error` : | return location for child errors
`exit_status` : | return location for child exit status
`error` : | return location for errors
Returns : | `TRUE` on success, `FALSE` if an error was set