From: guy@boi.hp.com
Newsgroups: rec.humor
Subject: Re: BABY man page (request)
Date: 18 Dec 92 20:31:57 GMT
Article-I.D.: boi.BzH2D9.IB6
Organization: Hewlett-Packard / Boise, Idaho
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1.2 PL7]

In <Dec.16.15.43.10.1992.14437@pilot.njin.net>, Jeff Klavan (jeklavan@pilot.njin.net) wrote:
>Could somebody please email me or post the famous UNIX BABY man page?
>Thank U.
>

Or if you want it "on line", stick this in "/usr/local/man/man1" (at
least this format works with HPUX) and do "man baby".


Guy Burnham, Boise Surface Mount Center, Hewlett Packard Co. Inc.
guy@hpbs5194.boi.hp.com     208(323-3355)
Disclaimer: Don't you be the only one to take me seriously!  


----------------------- cut here --------------------------------

TH BABY 1 "Dec 18 1992" "Rev 1.1" 
ad b
SH NAME
baby - create new process from two parents

SH SYNOPSIS

BR  /usr/contrib/baby 

\fB-sex m|f \fIGender option\fR
[\fB-name  \fIName of process\fR]   

SH DESCRIPTION

Baby is initiated when one parent process polls another  server  process
through a socket connection in the BSD version or through pipes in the
System V  implementation.  baby runs at low  priority for  approximately
forty weeks and then terminates  with a heavy system load.  Most systems
require  constant  monitoring  when baby  reaches  its  final  stages of
execution.

Older  implementations of baby did not require both initiating processes
to be  present  at  the  time  of  completion.  In  those  versions  the
initiating  process  which was not present was awakened  and notified of
the  results  upon  completion.  It has since been  determined  that the
presence of both parent  processes  result in a generally  lower  system
load at completion, and thus current versions of baby expect both parent
processes to be active during the final stages.

Successful  completion  of baby results in the creation  and naming of a
new  process.  Parent  processes  then  broadcast  messages to all other
processes, local and remote, informing them of their new status.




SH Options    
TP 15
B -sex  \fIdefine gender of created process \fP

TP 15
B -name \fIassign name to new process \fP



SH EXAMPLES
baby -sex f -name Jacqueline

nf          
RS 5        

completed  successfully  on July 9, 1992 at 9:11pm.  
Jacqueline's  vital statistics:  8  pounds  3 oz, 
20  inches  long  dark  hair.  The  parent process, 
Kim Dunbar, is reportedly doing fine.

RS -5        
fi           


SH SEE ALSO

     cigar(6), dump(5), cry(3).

SH BUGS

Despite its complexity,  baby only knows one signal, SIGCHLD, (or SIGCLD
in the  System V  implementation),  which it uses to contact  the parent
processes.  One or both  parent  processes  must then  inspect  the baby
process to determine the cause of the signal.

The sleep command may not work as expected on either parent  process for
some time  afterward,  as each new  instance of baby sends  intermittent
signals to the parent  processes  which must be  handled by the  parents
immediately.

A baby  process  will  frequently  dump core,  requiring  either or both
parent processes to clean up after it.

Despite the reams of available documentation on invoking and maintaining
baby, most parent processes are overwhelmed.

SH AUTHOR
     From a man page by Joe Beck, <beck@cs.ualberta.ca>.