Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!apple!rutgers!njin!deastman
From: deastman@pilot.njin.net (Don Eastman)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Re: Defunct process
Message-ID: <Mar.11.18.53.27.1990.18072@pilot.njin.net>
Date: 11 Mar 90 23:53:28 GMT
References: <1805@cygnet.UUCP> <6840005@hpcllcm.HP.COM> <1990Mar10.161752.4700@virtech.uucp>
Organization: NJ InterCampus Network, New Brunswick, N.J.
Lines: 25

Conor P. Cahill writes:

a lot of useful information and the following speculative comment.

> /* Disclaimer - this next part may be me smoking some rope, I can't create
> 		the problem to test it */
>  
> I believe that once stuck there they may get changed to a <defunct> by
> sending a kill -9. However, they still will not go away until the
> condition that got them stuck is cleared.
>

This appears to me to be exceedingly unlikely.

A process becomes <defunct> as a result of going through the exiting sequence
where kernel resources are relinquished.  It is very likely that the device
driver stuck at an noninterruptable priority is reliant upon some of these
resources.

It is also not obvious what benefits accrue from making a special case of
SIGKILL in this scenario.  Thoughts?

Don Eastman
deastman@pilot.njin.net or ...!rutgers!pilot!deastman