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AX_FUNC_FORK: worth keeping?


From: Reuben Thomas
Subject: AX_FUNC_FORK: worth keeping?
Date: Mon, 5 Sep 2011 15:01:37 +0100

Bruno Haible, gnulib maintainer, points out that "ax_func_fork.m4 does
not state against which kind of problem it checks - given that
gnulib's doc/posix-functions/fork.texi does not mention any known
problems of fork()."

The macro's documentation says:

#   Check to for a working fork. Use to provide a workaround for systems
#   that don't have a working fork. For example, the workaround for the
#   fork()/exec() sequence for DOS is to use spawn.

The code then compiles and runs an minimal use of fork. It does not
attempt (as far as I can see) to find a replacement on systems which
lack (a working) fork.

Given that, as Bruno says, we know of no system which has fork but on
which it doesn't work, I am unclear how AX_FUNC_FORK is an improvement
on AC_CHECK_FUNC(fork).

So maybe AX_FUNC_FORK should be obsoleted?

-- 
http://rrt.sc3d.org



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