Re: is killing zombies possible w/o a reboot?

[DervishD <lkml@dervishd.net>]

    Hi Gene :)

 * Gene Heskett <gene.heskett@verizon.net> dixit:
> >    Then the children are reparented to 'init' and 'init' gets rid
> > of them. That's the way UNIX behaves.
> Unforch, I've *never* had it work that way.  Any dead process I've 
> ever had while running linux has only been disposable by a reboot.

    Well, you know, shit happens... Anyway, could you define 'dead'?
Because if you're talking about zombies whose parent dies, they're
killable easily: just wait until init reaps them (usually in less
than 5 minutes since they dead). If you are talking about zombies who
has their parent alive, then it's a bug in the application, not the
kernel. In fact I wouldn't like if the kernel reaps my children
before I do, just in case I want to do something.

    If you're talking about unkillable processes (those stuck in
disk-sleep state), you're right: only rebooting can kill them
(although sometimes they go out of D state and die normally). Bad
luck for you if any dead process you've ever had while running linux
has been of this kind :(

    Raúl Núñez de Arenas Coronado

-- 
Linux Registered User 88736
http://www.dervishd.net & http://www.pleyades.net/