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exec ⚬｜Definition｜1st｜20261013192254-00-⌔
exec (system call) - Wikipedia
exec (system call)
In computing, exec is a functionality of an operating system that runs an executable file in the context of an already existing process, replacing the previous executable. This act is also referred to as an overlay. It is especially important in Unix-like systems, although it also exists elsewhere. As no new process is created, the process identifier (PID) does not change, but the machine code, data, heap, and stack of the process are replaced by those of the new program.
The
exec()call or some variant is available for many programming languages including compiled languages and some scripting languages. In command interpreters, theexecbuilt-in command replaces the shell process with the specified program.1Printed 2026-10-13.
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Link to original Footnotes
exec– System Interfaces Reference, The Single UNIX Specification, Version 5 from The Open Group ↩
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