Reference: trap
Author: Daniel Gilly & the Staff of O'Reilly & Associates
Date: 1998-08-06T21:58:58Z

#

| Chapter 4 The Bourne Shell and Korn Shell |

## trap

    trap [ [commands] signals]

Execute `commands` if any of `signals` is received. Common signals include 0, 1, 2, and 15. Multiple commands should be quoted as a group and separated by semicolons internally. If `commands` is the null string (i.e., trap "" `signals`), then `signals` will be ignored by the shell. If `commands` are omitted entirely, reset processing of specified signals to the default action. If both `commands` and `signals` are omitted, list current trap assignments. See examples below and under exec.

### Signals

Signals are listed along with what triggers them.

0

  Exit from shell (usually when shell script finishes).

1

  Hangup (usually logout).

2

  Interrupt (usually CTRL-C).

3

  Quit.

4

  Illegal instruction.

5

  Trace trap.

6

  IOT instruction.

7

  EMT instruction.

8

  Floating point exception.

10

  Bus error.

12

  Bad argument to a system call.

13

  Write to a pipe without a process to read it.

14

  Alarm timeout.

15

  Software termination (usually via kill).

ERR

  Nonzero exit status. Korn shell only.

DEBUG

  Execution of any command. Korn shell only.

### Examples

>     trap "" 2	Ignore signal 2 (interrupts).
>     trap 2	Obey interrupts again.

Remove a $tmp file when the shell program exits, or if the user logs out, presses CTRL-C, or does a kill:

>     trap "rm -f $tmp; exit" 0 1 2 15

Print a "clean up" message when the shell program receives signals 1, 2, or 15:

>     trap 'echo Interrupt!  Cleaning up...' 1 2 15

Reference: times |  | Reference: type