Skip to main content

Mini-shell Stops After Command

Question Text​

Why does the mini_shell process stop after executing a single command?

Question Answers​

  • Because of an implementation error
  • Because the mini_shell process doesn't exist anymore

  • Because the OS sees that the command has ended and ends the mini_shell process as well

  • Because exec*() syscalls also kill the caller process when the callee ends

Feedback​

When you exec*() any binary, the VAS current process is replaced by that corresponding to that binary. So when you exec*("ls"), for example, the mini_shell process becomes ls. There is no more mini_shell past this point. So when ls ends, there is no mini_shell process to continue its execution anymore.