EXIT(2)

NAME
_exit - terminate the calling process

SYNOPSIS
#include <unistd.h>
void volatile
_exit(int status);

DESCRIPTION
The _exit() function terminates a process with the following consequences:

•   All of the descriptors open in the calling process are closed. This may entail delays, for example, waiting for output to drain; a process in this state may not be killed, as it is already dying.

•   If the parent process of the calling process has an outstanding wait call or is interested in the SIGCHLD signal, it is notified of the calling process's termination and the status area is set as defined by wait(2).

•   The parent process-ID of all of the calling process's existing child processes are set to 1; the initialization process (see the DEFINITIONS section of intro(2)) inherits each of these processes. Any stopped children are restarted with a hangup signal (SIGHUP).

Most C programs call the library routine exit(3), which flushes buffers, closes streams, unlinks temporary files, etc., before calling _exit().

RETURN VALUE
_exit() can never return.

SEE ALSO
fork(2), sigvec(2), wait(2), exit(3)

HISTORY
An exit function call appeared in AT&T UNIX.