Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!hsdndev!cmcl2!adm!smoke!gwyn
From: gwyn@smoke.brl.mil (Doug Gwyn)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: Zombie processes
Message-ID: <16459@smoke.brl.mil>
Date: 19 Jun 91 14:40:25 GMT
References: <1991Jun19.103710.3404@fennel.cc.uwa.oz.au>
Organization: U.S. Army Ballistic Research Laboratory, APG, MD.
Lines: 8

In article <1991Jun19.103710.3404@fennel.cc.uwa.oz.au> epidem@fennel.cc.uwa.oz.au writes:
>Can anyone tell us  how to kill a ZOMBIE <EXITING> process under
>SunOS 4.0.3.

You can't kill a zombie; it's already dead.
Its parent should wait() for it; that will lay it to rest.
If its parent dies, then the "init" process will adopt the zombie and
immediately bury it.