[comp.unix.ultrix] zombie processes

emcguire@ccad.uiowa.edu (Ed McGuire) (05/23/91)

We have an application which uses the code for allocating a pty and
exec()ing on it taken from the book "Using C on the UNIX System".

Sometimes the child process on the pty becomes a zombie rather than
terminating properly.  The parent process is watching for EOF on the
pty but never gets one.  The child process only terminates when the
parent is killed.

This behavior has been seen only under ULTRIX.  The same code is
reliable under Apollo Domain/OS.

I admit to being largely ignorant about zombie processes.  What can
I do to help the developers identify and fix the problem?
-- 
peace.  -- Ed
"Over here, Bones!  This man's dying!"
"Damn it, Jim!  I'm a doctor, not a . . .  What did you say?"