pidwatch [--cd I<cd>] --host <host> --pid <pid>  args[....]
  pidwatch [--cd I<cd>] --host <host> --pid <pid> --foreground <pid>

In the background, watch the foreground pid on the specified host. If pidstatd is running on the specified host, and the specified pid goes away, kill the foreground command.

Alternatively pass the PID of any process with --foreground, when that process exits, the background job exits; if the watched PID exits, the foreground pid is killed.

Common usage is to kill remote rsh children when a parent is kill -9ed. An example Perl application would invoke:

    system("rsh \$remote_host pidwatch"
           ." --cd \$ENV{PWD} --host \$ENV{HOST} --pid \$\$"
           ."\$remote_command...");

<parameters>

All non switch arguments after the switches are passed to /bin/sh as a -c argument. Thus passing ``a && b'' to pidwatch will result in pidwatch executing ``/bin/sh -c 'a && b'''.

--cd dir

Directory to chdir to.

--help

Displays this message and program version and exits.

--host host

Hostname to check for specified pid on. pidstatd must be running on that host to have this program be useful.

--killer program

Program to use instead of kill when it's time to terminate the pid. Will be passed arguments as if it was /bin/kill (program signame pid).

--foreground pid

Process ID to be killed when watched process exits. Used to watch a preexisting PID, instead of launching commands under a shell.

--pid pid

Process ID to watch. When this pid exits, the program will kill the foreground process.

--port port

Port of pidstatd server on remote host.

--signal signame

Signal number/name to send to process on remote PIDs death. Defaults to -HUP.

Copyright 2002-2006 by Wilson Snyder. This package is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of either the GNU Lesser General Public License or the Perl Artistic License.