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How do I unregister a signal handler in C?

There are two possible ways to unregister a signal handler, and both re-use the same signal function:

signal(SIGINT, SIG_DFL);  // reset the disposition for SIGINT to the default
signal(SIGINT, SIG_IGN);  // set the disposition for SIGINT to ignore the signal

The manual for signal explains the three possible values for a signal handler:

signal(signum, handler) sets the disposition of the signal signum to handler, which is either SIG_IGN, SIG_DFL, or the address of a programmer-defined function (a “signal handler”).

Example of unregistering handlers:

#include <signal.h>
#include <assert.h>
#include <stdio.h>

void catch(int signo) {
  printf("catch received signal %d\n", signo);
}

int main(void) {
  // "Default" and "ignore" actions are encoded as pointers 0 and 1
  assert(SIG_DFL == (sig_t) 0);
  assert(SIG_IGN == (sig_t) 1);

  // disposition for all handlers is initially 0, i.e. SIG_DFL
  assert(signal(SIGINT, catch) == SIG_DFL);

  raise(SIGINT);  // calls catch

  assert(signal(SIGINT, SIG_IGN) == catch);

  raise(SIGINT);  // does nothing because disposition(SIGINT) == SIG_IGN

  assert(signal(SIGINT, SIG_DFL) == SIG_IGN);

  raise(SIGINT);
  // Terminates process! Because disposition(SIGINT) == SIG_DFL, and the default
  // action for SIGINT is to terminate the process

  // So we never get to here
  return 0;
}
Tagged #c, #programming.

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