---
name: "pause"
section: "2"
platform: "linux"
package: "man-pages"
version: "6.19-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/pause"
---

# pause(2)

wait for signal

## NAME

pause - wait for signal

## LIBRARY

Standard C library (*libc*, *-lc*)

## SYNOPSIS

```
#include <unistd.h>
```

**int pause(void);**

## DESCRIPTION

**pause**() causes the calling process (or thread) to sleep until a signal is delivered that either terminates the process or causes the invocation of a signal-catching function.

## RETURN VALUE

**pause**() returns only when a signal was caught and the signal-catching function returned. In this case, **pause**() returns -1, and *errno* is set to **EINTR**.

## ERRORS

- **EINTR**

  a signal was caught and the signal-catching function returned.

## STANDARDS

POSIX.1-2024.

## HISTORY

POSIX.1-2001, SVr4, 4.3BSD.

## SEE ALSO

[**kill**(2)](/kill/2.md), [**select**(2)](/select/2.md), [**signal**(2)](/signal/2.md), [**sigsuspend**(2)](/sigsuspend/2.md)