ALARM(2)            UNIX Programmer's Manual             ALARM(2)

NAME
     alarm - schedule signal after specified time

SYNTAX
     alarm(seconds)
     unsigned seconds;

DESCRIPTION
     _A_l_a_r_m causes signal SIGALRM (see _s_i_g_n_a_l(2)) to be sent to
     the invoking process in a number of seconds given by the
     argument.  Unless caught or ignored, the signal terminates
     the process.

     Alarm requests are not stacked; successive calls reset the
     alarm clock.  If the argument is 0, any alarm request is
     cancelled.  Because the clock has a 1-second resolution, the
     signal may occur up to one second early; because of schedul-
     ing delays, resumption of execution of when the signal is
     caught may be delayed an arbitrary amount.  The longest
     specifiable delay time is 65535 seconds.

     The return value is the amount of time previously remaining
     in the alarm clock.

SEE ALSO
     pause(2), signal(2), sleep(3)

ASSEMBLER
     (alarm = 27.)
     (seconds in r0)
     sys alarm
     (previous amount in r0)

Printed 7/30/83                                                 1