Miscellany

<?php
declare(ticks = 1);

$max=5;
$child=0;

// function for signal handler
function sig_handler($signo) {
  global $child;
  switch ($signo) {
   case SIGCHLD:
     echo "SIGCHLD received\n";
     $child--;
  }
}

// install signal handler for dead kids
pcntl_signal(SIGCHLD, "sig_handler");

while (1){
       $child++;
       $pid=pcntl_fork();
       
       if ($pid == -1) {
               die("could not fork");
       } else if ($pid) {
               
               // we are the parent
               if ( $child >= $max ){
                   pcntl_wait($status);
                   $child++;
               }
       } else {
               // we are the child
               echo "\t Starting new child | now we de have $child child processes\n";
               // presumably doing something interesting
               sleep(rand(3,5));
               exit;
       }
}
?>