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PROLOG
This manual page is part of the POSIX Programmer's Manual. The Linux implementation of this interface
may differ (consult the corresponding Linux manual page for details of Linux behavior), or the interface
may not be implemented on Linux.
NAME
abort — generate an abnormal process abort
SYNOPSIS
#include <stdlib.h>
void abort(void);
DESCRIPTION
The functionality described on this reference page is aligned with the ISO C standard. Any conflict
between the requirements described here and the ISO C standard is unintentional. This volume of
POSIX.1‐2017 defers to the ISO C standard.
The abort() function shall cause abnormal process termination to occur, unless the signal SIGABRT is
being caught and the signal handler does not return.
The abnormal termination processing shall include the default actions defined for SIGABRT and may include
an attempt to effect fclose() on all open streams.
The SIGABRT signal shall be sent to the calling process as if by means of raise() with the argument
SIGABRT.
The status made available to wait(), waitid(), or waitpid() by abort() shall be that of a process
terminated by the SIGABRT signal. The abort() function shall override blocking or ignoring the SIGABRT
signal.
RETURN VALUE
The abort() function shall not return.
ERRORS
No errors are defined.
The following sections are informative.
EXAMPLES
None.
APPLICATION USAGE
Catching the signal is intended to provide the application developer with a portable means to abort
processing, free from possible interference from any implementation-supplied functions.
RATIONALE
The ISO/IEC 9899:1999 standard requires the abort() function to be async-signal-safe. Since POSIX.1‐2008
defers to the ISO C standard, this required a change to the DESCRIPTION from ``shall include the effect
of fclose()'' to ``may include an attempt to effect fclose().''
The revised wording permits some backwards-compatibility and avoids a potential deadlock situation.
The Open Group Base Resolution bwg2002‐003 is applied, removing the following XSI shaded paragraph from
the DESCRIPTION:
``On XSI-conformant systems, in addition the abnormal termination processing shall include the effect of
fclose() on message catalog descriptors.''
There were several reasons to remove this paragraph:
* No special processing of open message catalogs needs to be performed prior to abnormal process
termination.
* The main reason to specifically mention that abort() includes the effect of fclose() on open streams
is to flush output queued on the stream. Message catalogs in this context are read-only and,
therefore, do not need to be flushed.
* The effect of fclose() on a message catalog descriptor is unspecified. Message catalog descriptors
are allowed, but not required to be implemented using a file descriptor, but there is no mention in
POSIX.1‐2008 of a message catalog descriptor using a standard I/O stream FILE object as would be
expected by fclose().
FUTURE DIRECTIONS
None.
SEE ALSO
exit(), kill(), raise(), signal(), wait(), waitid()
The Base Definitions volume of POSIX.1‐2017, <stdlib.h>
COPYRIGHT
Portions of this text are reprinted and reproduced in electronic form from IEEE Std 1003.1-2017, Standard
for Information Technology -- Portable Operating System Interface (POSIX), The Open Group Base
Specifications Issue 7, 2018 Edition, Copyright (C) 2018 by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers, Inc and The Open Group. In the event of any discrepancy between this version and the original
IEEE and The Open Group Standard, the original IEEE and The Open Group Standard is the referee document.
The original Standard can be obtained online at http://www.opengroup.org/unix/online.html .
Any typographical or formatting errors that appear in this page are most likely to have been introduced
during the conversion of the source files to man page format. To report such errors, see
https://www.kernel.org/doc/man-pages/reporting_bugs.html .
IEEE/The Open Group 2017 ABORT(3POSIX)