NAME

wait − wait for process completion

SYNTAX

wait [pid]

DESCRIPTION

The wait command waits until all processes started with an ampersand (&) have completed and reports on abnormal terminations. 

If a numeric pid is given and is the process ID of a background process, then wait waits until that process is completed. If pid is not a background process, wait waits until all background processes have completed.

Because the wait() system call must be executed in the parent process, the Shell itself executes wait without creating a new process.

RESTRICTIONS

Because not all the processes of a 3- or more-stage pipeline are children of the Shell, the wait command does not work on them.

The [pid] is available only with sh5. 

SEE ALSO

sh(1), sh5(1), wait(2)

Commands