Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!bloom-beacon!husc6!rice!sun-spots-request
From: rbj@dsys.ncsl.nist.gov (Root Boy Jim)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun
Subject: Problem with lockf on SunOS 3.5
Keywords: SunOS
Message-ID: <4115@kalliope.rice.edu>
Date: 23 Jun 89 20:26:08 GMT
Sender: usenet@rice.edu
Organization: Sun-Spots
Lines: 35
Approved: Sun-Spots@rice.edu
X-Sun-Spots-Digest: Volume 8, Issue 49, message 9 of 11

? From:    chuck@morgan.com (Chuck Ocheret)

? I have been able to remove <exiting> processes in the past when the
? scenario is that the process is waiting for an output queue to flush.  A
? short program that flushes the device's queue allows the process to rest
? in peace.  For example for a terminal, an ioctl() call with a TCFLSH
? command (for termio at least) can flush the offending output queue.  The
? zombie problem occurs very often when testing new comm systems (maybe I'm
? a sloppy developer) so I keep an "exorcist" program around for just such
? occasions.

? I would like to see a general purpose "exorcist" which, given a pid, can
? determine what device the process is waiting for and take the appropriate
? action.

? Chuck Ocheret
? Morgan Stanely & Co., Inc.

? 1251 Avenue of the Americas
? New York, N.Y.  10020
? (212)703-4474
? chuck@morgan.com

? [[ When one of our terminal lines got stuck with an <exiting> process, I
? ran a program that called ioctl() with TCFLSH (remembering that this
? sometimes unstuck these beasts).  It had no effect.  So it doesn't always
? work.  --wnl ]]

OK, so TCFLSH is one of them new-fangled termio thingies. Perhaps that
makes a difference. But as we all know, regular terminal I/O is always
interruptible by signals. Why is the tty driver sleeping rather than
waiting? Sounds like a bug somewhere.

	Root Boy Jim is what I am
	Are you what you are or what?