Re: kill -9 <pid of X>

Rob Hagopian (hagopiar@vuser.vu.union.edu)
Thu, 13 Aug 1998 01:29:40 -0400 (EDT)


I'll probably regret saying this but: OK, with that reasoning why don't we
put "bodyguards" in the kernel to protect the process from the person with
the "shotgun?" The kernel does so already by protecting the init process
so there's precedent...

In any case, you removed your quote, but before you said there was no
legitimate reason to 'kill -9' the X server. As you imply now, there can
be legitimate reasons, and possibly dire consequences in doing so. And
again, I agree, if you want to make it more stable in userspace, you can
add a graphics wrapper to it so that when you have to 'kill -9' the X
server because it got hosed, the wrapper can clean up the graphics before
exiting. But don't deny the problem just because people may not see the
solution (please).
-Rob

On Wed, 12 Aug 1998, Linus Torvalds wrote:

> On Thu, 13 Aug 1998, Rob Hagopian wrote:
> > I hate to get sucked into this thread, but really... if there's no
> > legitimate reason to 'kill -9' the X server then why the heck is there
> > such think as 'kill -9' in the first place?
>
> 'If there is no legitimate reason to kill the current president of the
> United States with a shotgun, then why the heck are there such things
> as "shotguns" in the first place?'
>
> Where did you learn your logic?
>
> "kill -9" is very useful. But you'd better be damned well aware that when
> you do it, you're killing the process and leaving it no chance to clean
> up. If you consider a corrupted screen unacceptable, then you should
> consider "kill -9 X" unacceptable.

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