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Re: 2.5.1: kill(pid, sig) before waitpid() returns -1 for sig != 0


On Aug 11 16:13, Corinna Vinschen wrote:
> Hi Eric,

Oops, Eri*k*.


Sorry,
Corinna

> 
> On Aug 11 11:51, Erik Bray wrote:
> > [...]
> > > Existing implementations vary on the result of a kill() with pid indicating an inactive process (a
> > > terminated process that has not been waited for by its parent). Some indicate success on such a
> > > call (subject to permission checking), while others give an error of [ESRCH]. Since the definition
> > > of process lifetime in this volume of POSIX.1-2008 covers inactive processes, the [ESRCH] error
> > > as described is inappropriate in this case. In particular, this means that an application cannot
> > > have a parent process check for termination of a particular child with kill(). (Usually this is done
> > > with the null signal; this can be done reliably with waitpid().)
> > 
> > In response to the originally issue, this was fixed *specifically* for
> > the case of kill(pid, 0).  But my reading of the above is that kill()
> > should return 0 in this case regardless of the signal (modulo
> > permissions, etc.).  On Linux, for example, when calling kill with pid
> > of a zombie process the kernel will happily deliver the signal to the
> > relevant task_struct; it will just never be acted on since the task
> > will never run again.
> 
> I'm not sure why cgf only fixed that for sig 0 at the time, since, as
> you noted, the text from POSIX-1.2008 does not state that this is
> *restricted* to sig 0.
> 
> > The below (untested) patch demonstrates the change I'm suggesting,
> > though I don't know what other code, if any, might be involved in
> > this.
> 
> The original patch laid the groundwork by making sure that there are
> two states, EXITED and REAPED.  Removing the explicit check for 0 is
> the right thing to do, afaics, so I tested and applied your patch as is,
> see 
> https://cygwin.com/git/?p=newlib-cygwin.git;a=commitdiff;h=86f79af827729f3968d8b3b8f860ac29d200da0d
> 
> 
> Thanks,
> Corinna
> 
> -- 
> Corinna Vinschen                  Please, send mails regarding Cygwin to
> Cygwin Maintainer                 cygwin AT cygwin DOT com
> Red Hat



-- 
Corinna Vinschen                  Please, send mails regarding Cygwin to
Cygwin Maintainer                 cygwin AT cygwin DOT com
Red Hat

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