Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!van-bc!mdivax1!rmosher Newsgroups: comp.unix.internals Subject: Signal Request Not Reaching Child Message-ID: <1990Nov26.214748.5977@mdivax1.uucp> Date: 26 Nov 90 21:47:48 GMT Reply-To: mdivax1!rmosher () Lines: 16 Return-Path: Apparently-To: van-bc!rnews A process (P) generates (and can kill) child processes. Children are normally given a signal (kill -3) by P and kill themselves after cleaning up and acknowledging P's request. The problem is that (very rarely) a child process refuses to die. No ack is sent to P. When in this state, even kill -9 will not kill the child process. However, the child process handles terminal i/o and if the terminal is shut off and on the child can be aborted. This makes me think that the child is in a state where it cannot collect a software signal, perhaps because it is in the middle of a screen write or some terminal i/o. Could this be the case? What else could cause this? Work around solutions would also be appreciated. Note: the terminal is set up in BLOCK mode, if that makes any difference. Thanks in advance for any suggestions/help.