[comp.lang.smalltalk] Problem with UnixProcess

sennett@sunb6.cs.uiuc.edu (05/04/90)

I am working on an application using St-80 (vers 2.5) that has to  
execute Unix commands.  To do this, I am using the UnixProcess
class method 'forkJob:arguments:environment:descriptors:'.  Everything
works fine until my program launches two programs in quick
succession.  Then, it hangs waiting for the second process to
finish.  For some reason, ST thinks the process is still active.

This can be recreated using the 'directoryListing' class method in
UnixProcess.  To do so, change 'ls' in the method to 'date' and
delete the arguments.  Then select printIt for the following code:
'Unix directoryListing. Unix directoryListing'.  The execute cursor
will appear and remain until ctrl-C is pressed. 

I suspect that there is a problem in the way Smalltalk is "reaping"
the exited processes, but I'm not sure of this.  Has anyone else
had this problem or have any ideas on how to solve it?  Thanks,

Mike Sennett
sennett@cs.uiuc.edu