PAUSE(3) | Library Functions Manual | PAUSE(3)

# NAME

`pause` — wait for a signal

# SYNOPSIS

`#include <unistd.h>`

int
`pause`(void);

# DESCRIPTION

`pause`() is obsoleted by sigsuspend(2).

`pause`() blocks the calling thread until it receives an unmasked signal.

# RETURN VALUES

`pause`() always returns -1.

# ERRORS

`pause`() always sets errno(2) to the following value:

[`EINTR`]
  The call was interrupted by a signal.

# SEE ALSO

kill(2), setitimer(2), sigprocmask(2), sigsuspend(2), signal(3)

# HISTORY

A `pause`() system call first appeared outside of Bell Labs in the “50 changes” tape for Version 6 AT&T UNIX. It was first officially released with PWB/UNIX 1.0. It was reimplemented as a wrapper around the `sigpause`() and `sigblock`() system calls in 4.2BSD, and around the sigsuspend(2) and sigprocmask(2) system calls in 4.3BSD-Reno.

December 30, 2022 | Debian