Zombie processes are undead, scary killing them isn't so easy
finding if zombies exist[]
- execute the top command
- one line is tasks:
- Example output: Tasks: 63 total, 1 running, 61 sleeping, 0 stopped, 1 zombie
Who is zombie[]
- execute:
ps aux | awk '"[Zz]" ~ $8 { printf("%s, PID = %d\n", $8, $2); }'
- example output is zombie process status, process ID: Z+, PID = 5067
Kill the zombies[]
zombies are living dead, so the aren't always easy to kill.
- Try executing: kill -9 PID
- example: kill -9 5067
- See is the zombie is still alive, undead
- use the techniques above
- If its still undead
- get a cross or garlic, well reliable sources tell me the don't work. We must try something else
- Kill the zombie's parent (process)
- execute: ps ef
- this will display a process (family) tree
- find the command who is the PID matches the zombie then look at the parents and try killing them
- example:
PID TTY STAT TIME COMMAND 5102 pts/3 Ss 0:00 bash MANPATH=/usr/local/share/man:/usr/share/man:/usr 5229 pts/3 R+ 0:00 \_ ps ef MANPATH=/usr/local/share/man:/usr/share/man 4929 tty1 S+ 0:00 -bash TERM=linux HOME=/home/zymos SHELL=/bin/bash USE 4954 tty1 S+ 0:00 \_ /bin/sh /usr/bin/startx MANPATH=/usr/local/share/ 4970 tty1 S+ 0:00 \_ xinit /home/zymos/.xinitrc -- -nolisten tcp - 4975 tty1 S 0:01 \_ icewm MANPATH=/usr/local/share/man:/usr/s 4977 tty1 S 0:01 \_ xterm MANPATH=/usr/local/share/man:/u 4987 pts/0 Ss 0:00 | \_ bash MANPATH=/usr/local/share/man 5090 pts/0 Sl+ 1:31 | \_ ./hydranode MANPATH=/usr/loca 5092 pts/0 Sl+ 0:29 | \_ ./hydranode-core --disabl 4978 tty1 S 0:00 \_ xterm -e /home/zymos/.icewm/startup M 4986 pts/1 Ss+ 0:00 | \_ /bin/sh /home/zymos/.icewm/startu 4993 pts/1 S+ 0:00 | \_ gaim MANPATH=/usr/local/sh 4994 pts/1 S+ 0:00 | \_ /bin/bash /usr/libexec/mozill 5030 pts/1 Sl+ 1:29 | | \_ /usr/lib/mozilla-firefox/ 5067 pts/1 Z+ 0:00 | | \_ [netstat] <defunct> 4995 pts/1 S+ 0:00 | \_ xterm MANPATH=/usr/local/shar 5032 pts/2 Ss+ 0:00 | | \_ bash MANPATH=/usr/local/s 5085 pts/1 S+ 0:00 | \_ boinc_client MANPATH=/usr/loc 4981 tty1 S 0:00 \_ icewmtray MANPATH=/usr/local/share/ma 5060 pts/1 S+ 0:00 /usr/libexec/gconfd-2 13 MANPATH=/usr/local/share/man
- netstat matches the PID above, 5067
- so in this example I would try killing
- 5030 pts/1 Sl+ 1:29 /usr/lib/mozilla-firefox/
- 4978 tty1 S 0:00 xterm -e /home/zymos/.icewm/startup M
- Or
- 4986 pts/1 Ss+ 0:00 /bin/sh /home/zymos/.icewm/startu
- so in this example I would try killing
- Hopefully this will work
- If you need a single line command that does the work you can try
ps axu | awk '"[Zz] ~ $8 { system(sprintf("kill -HUP %d", $2)); }'
- This will work in most cases
- Check if the zombie process still exists; if so, run the same command but change -HUP to -TERM.
- If the zombie is still there, use -9 instead of -HUP or -TERM.
- -9 will terminate it for sure but it's considered very bad practice
- FYI - The above is way too much work. Use killall <process-name> e.g. killall firefox