Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!unhd!rg
From: rg@uunet!unhd (Roger Gonzalez )
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: what's a SIGEMT signal?
Message-ID: <1990Apr8.182408.20966@uunet!unhd>
Date: 8 Apr 90 18:24:08 GMT
References: <2146@wpg.com> <10801@cbnewsm.ATT.COM>
Reply-To: rg@unhd.unh.edu.UUCP (Roger Gonzalez )
Organization: Marine Systems Engineering Lab
Lines: 26


>I'm not sure if this is a novice-type question or not, but
>what's a SIGEMT signal?  The 4.3BSD book by Leffler, McKusick, 
>Karels, and Quarterman gave me the most information: "emulate
>instruction executed."  The Bach Book on System V  doesn't
>mention it, and the System V documentation says "EMT instruction."
>So  does the Berkeley documentation, the sun include file
><signal.h>, and the System V include file <signal.h>
>
>Does anyone know  anything about SIGEMT?

SIGEMT (Signal Emergency Medical Technician) is generated by a process
that was almost, but not quite killed.  This can happen if its parent
tried to kill it, but a friendly process chased it off.  (After an
unsuccessful kill, the aggressive process often goes into a deep blue
<defunct>.)

So, if you ever do a 'kill -9' and the process doesn't die, they may have
done a SIGEMT and been rescued by the paramedics.  It is generally advised
to wipe all the fingerprints off your keyboard, and to hide your shell.
After all, a SIGCOP may have also been generated.
-- 
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