[imlost]

Anyone know how to capture the output of system(...) without using popen(...) and fork()?

Edit: nvm. I figure it out.

 

[nonoitall]

Doesn't system block until the command in question is finished executing? That being the case, the caller won't even resume until the child process is finished and any STDIO streams associated with it are closed. What's the reason you don't want to use popen or fork?

 

[imlost]

Doesn't system block until the command in question is finished executing? That being the case, the caller won't even resume until the child process is finished and any STDIO streams associated with it are closed.

I know, but I want to know if there is any way around it. :X

What's the reason you don't want to use popen or fork?

It's the requirement from an assignment that I can't use those. The only command I can use are system(...), close(...), pipe(...), dup(...), dup2(...), read(...) and write(...).

 

[Proto]

Be sure to write your solutions here for anyone who needs it for further reference. I remember asking about my homework in this boards some years ago (2005)

 

[imlost]

I'll post a sample code some other time. Right now, I'm a bit busy.

 

[rajkamaliya]

I'm not aware of these functions: pipe(), dup() and dup2() functions. any references for that ?

 

[nonoitall]

pipe(2): create pipe - Linux man page
dup(2): duplicate file descriptor - Linux man page

 

[imlost]

Here is a sample code that uses system(...), close(...), pipe(...), dup(...), dup2(...), read(...) and write(...).

#include <unistd.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

// Pipes the output of one program and use it as an input of another

main() {
  int fd[2];
  int std_in, std_out;
  char buf[6];

  if (pipe(fd) < 0)
    return -1;

  // stores the fd for stdin and stdout, so they can be restored later
  std_in = dup(STDIN_FILENO);
  std_out = dup(STDOUT_FILENO);

  dup2(fd[1], STDOUT_FILENO);
  system("echo hello world");
  close(fd[1]);
  dup2(std_out, STDOUT_FILENO);

  dup2(fd[0], STDIN_FILENO);
  read(fd[0], buf, 5);
  write(1, buf, 5);
  close(fd[0]);
  dup2(std_in, STDIN_FILENO);
}

 

[rajkamaliya]

nonoitall, thanks for those references. i'll check them out.

 

[@ruantec]

Nice! makes me remember my old but great C days!!!