LinuxSA Mailing list archives

  From: Andrew Pullin <andrew@hotspurbgc.com.au>
  To  : Richard Russell" <richard@austrics.com.au>, "David Drury <richard@austrics.com.au>
  Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 15:15:00 +1030

Re: zombies

Hi All,
    This reminds me of a discussion I saw a long time ago
about all of the other mythology in *nix systems. Apparently
there is ALOT, apart from the usual daemons, ghosts, etc. I
remember that it was an interesting discussion at the time,
but neglected to keep a copy. I wouldn't mind seeing a
discussion again because it was very educational *nix wise
because it opened up some of the mysteries of humdrum *nix
that normally isn't mentioned, but becomes important if you
ever had a problem. Anyone out there know some of this other
mythology and it's origins?
    Cheers!
        Andrew.


-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Russell <richard@austrics.com.au>
To: David Drury <idavid@smug.adelaide.edu.au>
Cc: linuxsa@linuxsa.org.au <linuxsa@linuxsa.org.au>
Date: Friday, 14 January 2000 15:02
Subject: Re: zombies


>
>thanks, David...
>
><snip>
>
>> Zombies are processes that have ended, but for what ever
reason, bug or
>> something, haven't removed themselves from the active
process list, hence
>> the inability to actually kill them.
>
>I didn't realise that it was the process's responsibility
to do that
>(remove itself from the active process list)... I would
have thought
>that the kernel would maintain that, and as soon as a
process ceases
>execution, it would be removed... I'm probably mistaken,
though...
>
>>
>> They take no memory, and no CPU time, so are generally
harmelss, tho I
>> don't know whether they can cause you to run out of
processes on a
>> machine.
>
>So for all intents and purposes, they are not there, apart
from an entry
>in the active processes list... ?
>
>>
>> Sometimes they can clear themselves, sometimes they
disapear when a parent
>> process is completed, and sometimes the only disapear
when you reboot.
>>
>> Generally ignore them, unless you are getting alot of
them, in which case
>> it could indicate a misbehaving program.
>
>Nah, just noticed one, and wondered (also remembered the
existence of a
>previous thread, but don't remember the content of the
messages...)
>
>rr
>
>--
>Richard Russell              | work:   +61 8 8207 1940
>richard@austrics.com.au      | mobile:    0412 827 805
>------------------------------------------------------
>  My overriding goal in life is to have a Fatwa
>    issued against me by an Islamic Ayatullah.
>
>--
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