--- Makefile
+++ Makefile	2006-05-16 17:16:01.000000000 +0200
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ startpar: $(OBJS)
 
 install: startpar
 	$(INSTALL) -d $(DESTDIR)$(sbindir) $(DESTDIR)$(man8dir)
-	$(INSTALL) -s startpar $(DESTDIR)$(sbindir)/.
+	$(INSTALL) startpar $(DESTDIR)$(sbindir)/.
 	$(INSTALL_DATA) startpar.8 $(DESTDIR)$(man8dir)/.
 
 clean:
--- proc.c
+++ proc.c	2006-05-16 18:10:47.000000000 +0200
@@ -45,30 +45,29 @@ static unsigned long int scan_one(const 
 
 int read_proc(unsigned long int * const prcs_run, unsigned long int * const prcs_blked)
 {
-    static char StatBuf[32*1024];
+    char StatBuf[2048], *ptr = &StatBuf[0];
     unsigned long int running, blocked;
-    ssize_t n;
-    int fd;
+    ssize_t len;
+    size_t skip;
+    FILE *stat;
 
     *prcs_run = 0;
     *prcs_blked = 0;
 
-    if ((fd = open( "/proc/stat", O_RDONLY )) < 0) {
+    if ((stat = fopen("/proc/stat", "r")) == (FILE*)0) {
 	fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: could not open /proc/stat: %s\n", strerror(errno));
 	return 1;
     }
 
-    n = read( fd, StatBuf, (sizeof(StatBuf) - 1));
-    close(fd);
-    if (n < 40) {
-	if (n < 0) {
-	    fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: could not read /proc/stat: %s\n", strerror(errno));
-	    return 1;
-	}
-	fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: no enough data in /proc/stat?\n");
-	return 1;
+    len = sizeof(StatBuf);
+    while ((len > 0) && (fgets(ptr, len, stat))) {
+	if (ptr[0] != 'p')
+	    continue;
+	skip = strlen(ptr);
+	len -= skip;
+	ptr += skip;
     }
-    StatBuf[n] = 0;
+    fclose(stat);
     
     running = scan_one(StatBuf, "procs_running");
     blocked = scan_one(StatBuf, "procs_blocked");
--- startpar.c
+++ startpar.c	2007-05-11 12:07:21.215446308 +0200
@@ -127,6 +127,19 @@ void waitsplash()
   splashpid = 0;
 }
 
+void closeall(void)
+{
+  int s;
+
+  if (!prgs)
+    return;
+  for (s = 0; s < par; s++)
+    if (prgs[s].fd)
+      close(prgs[s].fd);
+  close(pidpipe[0]);
+  close(pidpipe[1]);
+}
+
 void callsplash(int n, char *path, char *action)
 {
   char *p;
@@ -169,24 +182,11 @@ void callsplash(int n, char *path, char 
     }
   close(1);
   dup(2);
+  closeall();
   execl("/sbin/splash", "splash", "-p", sbuf, "-t", tbuf, splashcfg, (char *)0);
   _exit(1);
 }
 
-
-void closeall(void)
-{
-  int s;
-
-  if (!prgs)
-    return;
-  for (s = 0; s < par; s++)
-    if (prgs[s].fd)
-      close(prgs[s].fd);
-  close(pidpipe[0]);
-  close(pidpipe[1]);
-}
-
 void writebuf(struct prg *p)
 {
   char *b = p->buf;
@@ -360,6 +360,7 @@ int run_single(char *prg, int spl)
 
       close(1);
       dup(2);
+      closeall();
       if (run_mode)
 	{
 	  char path[128];
@@ -510,6 +511,7 @@ void usage(int status)
 
 int main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
+  volatile int broken;
   int timo = -1;
   int gtimo = -1;
   int r, c, i, s, last, num;
@@ -706,6 +708,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
       exit(1);
     }
 
+  broken = 0;					/* Detect broken hardware */
   gettimeofday(&glastio, 0);
   limit = checklimit(inpar, (run_mode) ? run_mode : "stop");
   lastlim.tv_sec  = glastio.tv_sec;
@@ -721,6 +724,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
       last = -1;
       maxfd = -1;
       active = 0;
+      pid = 0;
 
       diff = ((now.tv_sec  - lastlim.tv_sec) * 1000) +
 	     ((now.tv_usec - lastlim.tv_usec)/ 1000);
@@ -795,8 +799,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 
 	} /* for (s = 0; s < par; s++) */
 
-      if (s < limit && num < argc)
-	continue;				/* start new processes */
+      broken++;					/* no endless loops due broken systems */
 
       if (interactive_task)
 	{
@@ -809,9 +812,14 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	      p->pid = 0;
 	      p->fd = 0;
 	      interactive_task = NULL;
+	      broken = 0;			/* run_single() uses waitpid() */
 	      continue;
 	    }
 	}
+
+      if ((active < limit) && (num < argc) && (broken < argc))
+	continue;				/* try to start new processes */
+
       if (active == 0)
 	{
 	  if (num < argc)
@@ -828,16 +836,25 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
       if (active == 1 && last >= 0)
 	{
 	  p = prgs + last;
-	  writebuf(p);
-	  continue;
+	  if ((pid = waitpid(p->pid, &r, maxfd < 0 ? 0 : WNOHANG)) == 0)
+	    {
+	      writebuf(p);
+	      continue;
+	    }
+          broken = 0;
 	}
 
       FD_SET(pidpipe[0], &rset);
       /* drain the pidpipe */
-      while ((r = read(pidpipe[0], pipebuf, sizeof pipebuf)) > 0)
+      while ((c = read(pidpipe[0], pipebuf, sizeof pipebuf)) > 0)
 	;
 
-      pid = waitpid(-1, &r, maxfd < 0 ? 0 : WNOHANG);
+      if (pid == 0)
+	{
+	  pid = waitpid(-1, &r, maxfd < 0 ? 0 : WNOHANG);
+	  broken = 0;
+	}
+
       if (pid > 0)
 	{
 	  if (pid == splashpid)
@@ -874,7 +891,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		    }
 		  break;
 		}
-	    }
+	    } /* for (s = 0; s < par; s++) */
 	  continue;
 	}
 
@@ -993,9 +1010,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		}
 	      p->lastio.tv_sec  = now.tv_sec;
 	      p->lastio.tv_usec = now.tv_usec;
-	    }
+	    } /* for (s = 0; s < par; s++) */
 	}
-    }
+    } /* for (;;) */
 
  finished:
   waitsplash();