NAME

     alarm - schedule signal after specified time


SYNOPSIS

     #include <unistd.h>

     unsigned int alarm(unsigned int seconds)


DESCRIPTION

     Alarm causes signal SIGALRM, see sigaction(2), to be sent to
     the  invoking  process  in  a number of seconds given by the
     argument.  Unless caught or ignored, the  signal  terminates
     the process.

     Alarm requests are not stacked; successive calls  reset  the
     alarm  clock.   If  the  argument is 0, any alarm request is
     canceled.  Because of scheduling delays, resumption of  exe-
     cution  of when the signal is caught may be delayed an arbi-
     trary amount.

     The return value is the amount of time previously  remaining
     in the alarm clock.


SEE ALSO

     pause(2), sigsuspend(2), sigaction(2), sleep(3).