🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1dmp94INNppe@uwm.edu> xepo@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Scott R Violet)  
writes:
=>
=>I am not sure if this fits properly in this group, but I have noticed
=>with a program that I am writing for the NeXT, and was figuring that
=>maybe it is something I am doing that I should be doing.  What
=>happens is that I run my program and after a while I ^C it to stop.
=>After that if I do a 'ps -aux' I notice that there is a extra -1 task
=>running under root.  What could cause this problem?  And, I found out
=>that it isn't a good idea to try an kill them...
=>-- 
=>
=>		-Scott Violet (xepo@csd4.csd.uwm.edu)

A process with a PID of -1 (also stated as <mnach-task>) is really a zombied  
process.  A zombie doesn't not really cause any harm to the system, except  
that it consumes 1 slot in the process table, of which there is a finite  
number of slots.  When you run out of process slots, you will crash.

It seems that one of the major creators of zombies is NeXT's Terminal.app.   
Generally whenever you close a terminal.app window, a zombie will be created.

Btw, the zombies can not be "killed" (even will kill -9).  Don't even bother  
to attempt it.  But if you do, be prepared to reboot from a panic :-)


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