Bob,

I understand, I'd just expected more uniformity across unix like
platforms. I realize also that much of what people this of as unix
are contributed utilities that have nothing to do with the kernel.

I'm surprised to learn that older signal utilities didn't have a
larger number of signals available to them. I've done a bunch of
Solaris/Irix management but most of my system programming and trap
handling experience comes from VMS which always provided a great deal
of granularity and which evolved about the same time as the original
unix kernel.

Thanks for the clarification, I do need to remember to differentiate
the issues. Still, it would be nice (read "convenient") if similar
utilities supported a common set of signals and command line switches.

                                                thank you,

                                                Brian

On Wed, Oct 13, 2004 at 01:58:44PM -0400, Bob Kryger wrote:
> 
> 
> Brian Cuttler wrote:
> 
> >Redhat, perhaps linux in general, does not use SIG HUP to reload its
> >configuration, it uses that to dump it. SIG USR2 however will reload
> >the configuration.
> >  
> >
> Actually, the signal used, if any at all, is a function of the 
> application's implementation. Some applications use the signal(2) system 
> call (and others) to trap certain signals and perform some function, 
> such as reload configuration file, or dump the state. The HUP signal is 
> common for older programs as once upon a time, there was no USR1, USR2 
> or many of the others.
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   Brian R Cuttler                 brian.cuttler AT wadsworth DOT org
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