process

[Indrajit Bhagat]

what is mean by zombie process

[Torsten.]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zombie_process

[Steven E. Protter]

Shalom,

A zombie process is aptly named. It is a process that runs, even uses cpu and memory but does nothing useful and is disconnected from its parent and is not responding.

Normally the only way to get rid of a Zombie process is to reboot.

Application programming issues cause zombies much of the time.

SEP

[James R. Ferguson]

Hi:

SEP, you should read the link Torsten posted.

Regards!

...JRF...

[Dennis Handly]

>JRF: SEP, you should read the link Torsten posted.

Right. The only problem with that link is it doesn't use the technical term, zombie master. :-)
http://forums1.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?threadId=1145648

[whiteknight]

Hi

The reason for the "defunct" processes listed when you use the ps
command is "zombie" processes. This is the name for a process
that terminates for any reason, but whose parent process has not
waited for it to terminate (via wait(2)). The process that terminated
continues to occupy a slot in the process table until its parent process
waits for it. Because it has terminated, however, there is no other space
allocated to it either in user or kernel space.

This is a relatively harmless occurrence that rectifies itself the
next time its parent process waits. The ps(1) command lists zombie
processes as "defunct."

WK
please assign points

[AL_3001]

Hi Indrajit,
When a process terminates, it sends an exit system call. At this time, the kernel releases resources used by the process. The process becomes a zombie and remains in the zombie state until its parent process gives it permission to die. If the parent process is not responding, the process may be left in a zombie state indefinitely.

Hope this information helps.