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From: boyd@necisa.ho.necisa.oz (Boyd Roberts)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: Zombie processes ,how to find?
Message-ID: <1785@necisa.ho.necisa.oz>
Date: 26 Jun 90 23:49:41 GMT
References: <1990Jun22.221815.2087@cbnewsm.att.com> <1990Jun25.125915.19895@virtech.uucp>
Organization: NEC Information Systems Australia Pty. Ltd.
Lines: 26

In article <1990Jun25.125915.19895@virtech.uucp> cpcahil@virtech.UUCP (Conor P. Cahill) writes:
>In article <1990Jun22.221815.2087@cbnewsm.att.com> jeffj@cbnewsm.att.com (jeffrey.n.jones) writes:
>>
>>I was wondering how to find a zombie process. Will ps -elf show it?
>

Yes.  The state field will contain a `Z'.

>>I am sure we don't have any running but how would one
>>find it and then eliminate it (kill?). Thanks for any help! I'll be more
>
>You can't eliminate it.  A zombie process, by definition, is just an 
>entry in the process table that contains timing and status information for
>a process that has exited, but whose parent hasn't yet waited on it.
>

Hmm.  It also contains its process ID and it's parent's process ID.

Processes in UNIX are referenced by their process ID, and never by
their `name'.  Maintain a table of processes you started and save
their process ID, for later use.


Boyd Roberts			boyd@necisa.ho.necisa.oz.au

``When the going gets wierd, the weird turn pro...''