Linux Gazette, "...making Linux just a little more fun!", is a
free online magazine that provides many Linux tips & tricks.
URL: http://linuxgazette.net/ and http://linuxgazette.com/
One Day One Command
===================
timeout -- Send a signal to a program after a certain timeout.
Summary:
'timeout' executes a program (with arguments args) and sends a signal
(like KILL, TERM etc) to it after a certain amount of seconds. It is
from NetaTalk Project.
Examples:
$ timeout 10 ping localhost -- Run the Ping program and send, by
default, a SIGTERM after 10 seconds.
$ timeout -s KILL 10 ping localhost -- Same as above. But here KILL
Signal will be send to the Ping Program after 10 seconds.
$ timeout -s HUP 10 sh -- Spawn a shell and send a hangup signal after
10 seconds.
$ timeout -s 1 10 sh -- Same as above. Signal #1 == HANGUP.
Read: man timeout & man 7 signal
HTH :)
--
Bharathi S
ODOC LJ -- http://www.livejournal.com/community/ilugc/