Xref: utzoo comp.sys.att:8478 unix-pc.general:4516
Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!utoday!comeau
From: comeau@utoday.UUCP (Greg Comeau)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.att,unix-pc.general
Subject: Re: Uniquely identifying a user: is it possible?
Message-ID: <1159@utoday.UUCP>
Date: 15 Jan 90 14:08:54 GMT
References: <25730@cup.portal.com> <1143@utoday.UUCP> <25845@cup.portal.com> <25932@cup.portal.com>
Reply-To: comeau@utoday.UUCP (Greg Comeau, Columnist, UNIX TODAY!)
Organization: Unix Today!, Manhasset, NY
Lines: 24

In article <25932@cup.portal.com> thad@cup.portal.com (Thad P Floryan) writes:
>I need to look carefully at what this new program will do
>since I have the distinct impression it's possible a process' entry could
>disappear out from under me while reading /dev/kmem.
>If anyone has suggestions how to handle THAT problem (browsing dynamically
>changing structures), advice would be appreciated; the "ps" program must do
>it, but I don't have sources.
>

Your worry is proper: entries can disappear out from under you.

'ps' *doesn't* do it though.

It is strictly a snapshot and quite often gets things wrong.
Problem is that without a driver, you are not part of the kernel
and therefore there is nothing you can do about it except zoom around.

And have fun with the guts of your program:  you are assured an
interesting coupla days!
-- 
Greg, Comeau Computing, 91-34 120th Street, Richmond Hill, NY, 11418
Producers of CC C++, SysAdm columnist for UNIX Today!, Microsoft Systems Journal
(C programming), + others. Also, BIX c.language & c.plus.plus conf. moderator.
Here:attmail!csanta!greg / BIX:comeau / CIS:72331, 3421 / voice:718-849-2355