>basalt (thorpej) /sys/arch/powerpc/compile/GENERIC 173% echo $EDITOR
>emacs -nw
>basalt (thorpej) /sys/arch/powerpc/compile/GENERIC 174% chfn
>[ editor starts up, I frob the entry, C-x C-c ]
>...

i don't know that this is related, but i would also suggest that you add

  signal(SIGINT,SIG_IGN);
  signal(SIGQUIT,SIG_IGN);

to the code before the program in question (chfn, crontab -e, whatever
else uses this mechanism) forks and execs the editor, since while in
emacs, if i hit C-g (after having hit something i didn't mean to) the
intermediate sh dies (from the sigquit) and crontab decides you're done,
leaving emacs running, but now in the background as a child of init.

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