Date: Mon, 20 Apr 1998 10:54:46 +0200 From: pb@fasterix.frmug.org (Pierre Beyssac) To: phk@critter.freebsd.dk (Poul-Henning Kamp) Cc: freebsd-bugs@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: kern/5236 Message-ID: <19980420105446.AG32944@mars.hsc.fr> In-Reply-To: <16263.893051669@critter.freebsd.dk>; from Poul-Henning Kamp on Apr 20, 1998 07:54:29 %2B0200 References: <19980420011335.SG57732@@> <16263.893051669@critter.freebsd.dk>
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According to Poul-Henning Kamp:
> Well, first: zombies are signs of programming errors in the parent
> process.
System utilities (and kernel) shouldn't depend on correct user processes
programming to work reliably.
> Second: ps doesn't give an atomic snapshot of the system,
> so it isn't an accurate view of system resources.
Even though they are supposed to be updated atomically, the problem
is most certainly with kernel tables, ps only reflects this. I assume
top would, too, but I haven't tried it (hence the filing of my
PR in the "kern" category).
> Third: since it
> isn't scheduled none of those awful things will happen.
Should I understand that you would estimate the problem unsolved
if the system wasted in the name of zombies processes all the CPU
ps says they use ? By the way, what makes you think it doesn't since
you don't rely on ps ? :-)
> Fourth: If
> you had included a patch for ps things would probably happen :-)
Thanks, I take this to mean there's a tiny possibility my PR is not totally
useless :-), so I'll give it a try.
--
Pierre Beyssac pb@fasterix.frmug.org pb@fasterix.freenix.org
{Free,Net,Open}BSD, Linux : il y a moins bien, mais c'est plus cher
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