Re: init's children list is long and slows reaping children.

Linus Torvalds
2007-04-06T22:47:04Z

On Fri, 6 Apr 2007, Davide Libenzi wrote:

> On Fri, 6 Apr 2007, Linus Torvalds wrote:
> >
> > I don't really see the point. It's not even *true*. A "process" includes
> > more than the shared signal-handling - it would include files and fs etc
> > too.
> >
> > So it's actually *more* correct to call it the shared signal state than it
> > would be to call it "process" state.
>
> But "signal" has *nothing* to do with what the structure store nowadays,
> really. It's a pool of "things" that are not Linux task specific.

You're ignoring reality. It has more to do with signals than with
processes. Look at *all* the fields in the top half of the structure, up
to (and including) the "tty" field. They're *all* about signal semantics
in one form or another (whether it's directly about shared signal
behaviour, or indirectly about *sources* of signals like process control
or timers).

And renaming it really has no upsides, even *if* you had a point, which
you don't.

Linus