Re: help!! tons of Z processes in 2.4.x (x > 3)

[Alan Cox]

> Since 2.4.6-ac[45] until 2.4.9-ac7 I keep on getting processes in Z
> state, mainly identd (spawned from an identd daemon), galeon (the gnome
> browser) and mysqld.

Sounds like user mode problems to me. Z is a zombie - its waiting for its
parent to wake up and collect its exit code. Look at their ppid see what
the parent is and is doing

> An strace to the process ends immediately with the following message:
> # strace -p 3697
> attach: ptrace(PTRACE_ATTACH, ...): Operation not permitted
> It doesn't matter wheater I'm root or not.

Yep - it doesnt really exist except as a process slot

> If I run the redhat-7.1 kernel (kernel-2.4.3-12) this doesn=A1't happen, =
> so
> I deduce it has something to do with recent changes.
> 
> I'm surprised that I'm the only one with this problem.

So far you are

Alan