---
name: "posix_spawnattr_setsigdefault"
section: "3"
platform: "freebsd"
package: "base"
version: "16.0-CURRENT-20261027-61c70dc16a79"
release: "FreeBSD 16.0-CURRENT (2026-10-27)"
platforms: ["freebsd", "macos"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/posix_spawnattr_getsigdefault"
---

# posix\_spawnattr\_setsigdefault(3)

get and set the spawn-sigdefault attribute of a spawn attributes object

Part of [posix\_spawnattr\_getsigdefault(3)](/posix_spawnattr_getsigdefault/3.md).

## NAME

**posix\_spawnattr\_getsigdefault**, **posix\_spawnattr\_setsigdefault** – get and set the spawn-sigdefault attribute of a spawn attributes object

## LIBRARY

Standard C Library (libc, -lc)

## SYNOPSIS

**#include \<spawn.h\>**

*int*\

**posix\_spawnattr\_getsigdefault**(*const posix\_spawnattr\_t \*restrict attr*, *sigset\_t \*restrict sigdefault*);

*int*\

**posix\_spawnattr\_setsigdefault**(*posix\_spawnattr\_t \*attr*, *const sigset\_t \*restrict sigdefault*);

## DESCRIPTION

The **posix\_spawnattr\_getsigdefault**() function obtains the value of the spawn-sigdefault attribute from the attributes object referenced by *attr*.

The **posix\_spawnattr\_setsigdefault**() function sets the spawn-sigdefault attribute in an initialized attributes object referenced by *attr*.

The spawn-sigdefault attribute represents the set of signals to be forced to default signal handling in the new process image (if POSIX\_SPAWN\_SETSIGDEF is set in the spawn-flags attribute) by a spawn operation. The default value of this attribute is an empty signal set.

## RETURN VALUES

The **posix\_spawnattr\_getsigdefault**() and **posix\_spawnattr\_setsigdefault**() functions return zero.

## SEE ALSO

[posix\_spawn(3)](/posix_spawn/3.md), [posix\_spawnattr\_destroy(3)](/posix_spawnattr_destroy/3.md), [posix\_spawnattr\_getsigmask(3)](/posix_spawnattr_getsigmask/3.md), [posix\_spawnattr\_init(3)](/posix_spawnattr_init/3.md), [posix\_spawnattr\_setsigmask(3)](/posix_spawnattr_setsigmask/3.md), [posix\_spawnp(3)](/posix_spawnp/3.md)

## STANDARDS

The **posix\_spawnattr\_getsigdefault**() and **posix\_spawnattr\_setsigdefault**() functions conform to IEEE Std 1003.1-2001 (“POSIX.1”).

## HISTORY

The **posix\_spawnattr\_getsigdefault**() and **posix\_spawnattr\_setsigdefault**() functions first appeared in FreeBSD 8.0.

## AUTHORS

Ed Schouten ⟨*ed@FreeBSD.org*⟩