Unix to Windows Porting Dictionary for HPC

header file: signal.h

int sighold(int sig);

Header file: none

The sighold call adds the individual signal specified to the system copy of the process signal mask.

The POSIX implementation of signals includes the ability to mask individual signals. A signal mask is maintained by the operating system for each process in the system. The sighold routine adds the specified signal to the system maintained signal mask for the calling process. Under this condition the signal will not be acted on.

The Windows implementation of signals does not include a mask capability at the process level. To get around this limitation the user can implement masking in the handler itself after setting the handler up to accept all signals. Once the handler is invoked, it can inspect the number of the signal that has invoked it and decide whether to ignore it, process it or send it off to the default handler for that signal.

The sighold() routine can be simulated in the running example by setting the appropriate signal value to SIG_IGN in the signalmask array. Once this is done all further signals will be ignored.