new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/liboctave/syswait.h
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+/*
+
+Copyright (C) 1996, 1997 John W. Eaton
+
+This file is part of Octave.
+
+Octave is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the
+Free Software Foundation; either version 2, or (at your option) any
+later version.
+
+Octave is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
+ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
+FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License
+for more details.
+
+You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+along with Octave; see the file COPYING.  If not, write to the Free
+Software Foundation, 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307, USA.
+
+*/
+
+#if !defined (octave_syswait_h)
+#define octave_syswait_h 1
+
+// This mess suggested by the autoconf manual.
+
+#ifdef HAVE_SYS_TYPES_H
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#endif
+
+#if defined (NeXT) && ! defined (_POSIX_SOURCE)
+#define HAVE_SYS_WAIT_H
+#endif
+
+#if defined HAVE_SYS_WAIT_H
+#include <sys/wait.h>
+#endif
+
+#if defined (NeXT)
+#define HAVE_WAITPID 1
+#define waitpid(a, b, c) \
+  wait4 ((a) == -1 ? 0 : (a), (union wait *)(b), c, 0)
+
+// Use the defaults below
+#undef WIFEXITED
+#undef WEXITSTATUS
+#undef WIFSIGNALLED
+#endif
+
+// NeXT has sys/wait.h, but it is not compatible with POSIX.1, so we
+// try to define waitpid in terms of wait4.
+
+#if defined (NeXT)
+#include <sys/wait.h>
+#define waitpid(a, b, c) \
+  wait4 ((a) == -1 ? 0 : (a), (union wait *)(b), c, 0)
+#endif
+
+#ifndef WIFEXITED
+#define WIFEXITED(stat_val) (((stat_val) & 255) == 0)
+#endif
+
+#ifndef WEXITSTATUS
+#define WEXITSTATUS(stat_val) ((unsigned)(stat_val) >> 8)
+#endif
+
+#ifndef WIFSIGNALLED
+#define WIFSIGNALLED(stat_val) \
+  (((stat_val) & 0177) != 0177 && ((stat_val) & 0177) != 0)
+#endif
+
+#endif
+
+/*
+;;; Local Variables: ***
+;;; mode: C++ ***
+;;; End: ***
+*/