Processes I cant kill 1

[Genka]

Does any one know how to kill a zombie process, when kill -9 does not work?

 

[KenCunningham]

As far as I know the only way to kill such processes is to reboot the box.

 

[Genka]

So there is no other command besides kill ?....I was hoping not to reboot.

 

[KenCunningham]

Elsewhere I think Mike Lacey has recommended the wait command - you might like to do a search of this forum for his advice on this. However, the bottom line is that these processes do nothing more than take up a slot in the process table and they shouldn't be impacting your system's performance that badly. As long as you can live with this, and there aren't positively hundreds of the things, you may as well wait 'till your next scheduled reboot to kill them. HTH.

 

[MikeLacey]

yep - you can just leave them, unless they are filling up your process table. They're not really processes anymore, just an entry in your process table waiting for the thing that started them to call wait() and pick up their return code. Mike
michael.j.lacey@ntlworld.com
Email welcome if you're in a hurry or something -- but post in tek-tips as well please, and I will post my reply here as well.

 

[superuser]

before killing any processes, there might be child be processes, so kill it first before killing the parent, if not the the processes might hang and appear to be there.

 

[abbysux]

check the PPID
and if it is possible kill this process
kill -9 <PPID>.
The defunct process will gone

 

[Genka]

That doesnt work, sorry, But problem was rectified by instaling patches.

Thank you
For all of the responses

 

[MikeLacey]

pgl222

Sorry - I have to disagree with you there.

The PPID (Parent Process ID) of a Zombie process will be 1, which is part of the operating system, which will *NOT* react nicely to being sent a SIG_KILL with a kill -9 command - so please don't do this at home anyone. But yes <wry smile> as it will get rid of *all* processes (very quickly) on the box, any Zombies will disappear as well! Mike
michael.j.lacey@ntlworld.com
Email welcome if you're in a hurry or something -- but post in tek-tips as well please, and I will post my reply here as well.

 

[Genka]

Michael if I wanted to get rid of all the processes I could just reboot the box. Not something you want to do in a 24/7 operation.

 

[MikeLacey]

yep <grin> and I guessed, from what you'd written earlier, that you wouldn't do such a thing - but lots of people will read this thread

No offence meant Mike
michael.j.lacey@ntlworld.com
Email welcome if you're in a hurry or something -- but post in tek-tips as well please, and I will post my reply here as well.