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Conference noted::hackers_v1

Title:-={ H A C K E R S }=-
Notice:Write locked - see NOTED::HACKERS
Moderator:DIEHRD::MORRIS
Created:Thu Feb 20 1986
Last Modified:Mon Aug 03 1992
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:680
Total number of notes:5456

221.0. "An Unkillable process (HELP!!!)" by SUBSYS::LAWLER () Tue Mar 25 1986 11:02

    
      I don't know how I did this, but I somehow wound up with
    an unkillable process...   I started by submitting a batch
    job to copy a kit over the network, and then got impatient
    and tried to delete the file (I think).  What I wound up
    with is a process that alternates between the COM and
    RWAST states, with no terminal attached, an open file
    (As shown by sho dev/fil duA1:) that doesn't exist, 
    and no way to kill it.  ($STOP/id=xxx appears to act
    correctly, but the process never goes away.)  Anybody got
    any good hacks to get rid of this without shutting down
    the system?
    
                                     al
    
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
221.1Press the RESET buttonSWIFT::BYRNEWe apologise for the inconvenienceTue Mar 25 1986 12:5612
	RWAST means that the process is waiting for a resource whose
	availability MAY be made known via an AST. Find out what the
	process is waiting for and  supply it. It is probably due to
	the exhaustion of a process quota so  find out which one and
	increase it.

	$STOP/ID is delivered  via a kernel-mode  AST so the process
	will wait for that instead.

	The only way out that I know is to reboot the machine.

Ciaran Byrne.
221.2CADLAC::WONGTue Mar 25 1986 15:026
    I got stuck with this situation a couple of times.
    
    REBOOT!
    
    B.
    
221.3Can't WHAT Stop It?VAXUUM::DYERBrewer - PatriotTue Mar 25 1986 18:387
	    Why reboot when you can hack?  Throw random bits into it and
	see what happens . . .
			 .-----.
			/  o o  \
			\ \___/ /
			 `-----'
			 <_Jym_>
221.4POTARU::QUODLINGIt works for me....Tue Mar 25 1986 20:457
        I found notes-11 doing this to me in the past sometime back.
        Check back through the Notes-11 Notesfile (not conference :-))
        and see what solutions were offered. I think with careful use
        of SDA you can find out why it is playing up and fix it.
        
        q
        
221.5try *poking* aroundSQUAM::WELLSPhil WellsTue Mar 25 1986 23:4313
    I once looked into a system where some DECmail processes were in
    RWAST.  The operator had already done a STOP on the processes, so
    they were marked in the PCB.  This makes it difficult to use the nice
    SDA commands to see what is wrong.
    
    I then wrote a small program that cleared the bit in the PCB that
    said 'process is being deleted'.  I also used a BITC with a $V_
    symbol, or some such that produced an exception.  As this was a
    _hack_, I had not bothered to establish a handler.
    
    Moral:  If you don't want to reboot - maybe you can crash it :-)
    
    -phil
221.6Bolting stable doorsSWIFT::BYRNEWe apologise for the inconvenienceWed Mar 26 1986 07:106
	Provided that you haven't done a $STOP/ID then you can use SDA
	to find out what the process is waiting for but it is usually
	too late to supply it. ^P then H on the console usually does the
	trick.

Ciaran Byrne.
221.7Thanks.SUBSYS::LAWLERWed Mar 26 1986 10:447
    Thanks to all...  As fate would have it, we just started 
    getting a bunch of memory errors, and field service coming
    gives me an excuse to reboot the machine...  
      I appreciate the help.
    
    					al
    
221.8Use ForceKLOV02::BROWNWed Apr 02 1986 16:024
    
    Sometimes a FORCEX does the trick.
    
   	 _sb:
221.9ERIS::CALLASJon CallasWed Apr 02 1986 17:316
    Forcex will never work when a delete process won't. Forcex uses
    a user mode AST, while delete process uses a kernel AST. If the
    process is so wedged that a kernel AST can't get through, you can
    bet your bottom dollar that a user mode AST won't.
    
    	Jon
221.10Rebooting worked.SUBSYS::LAWLERThu Apr 03 1986 12:145
    
    Rebooting worked fine...
(I just missed dinner one evening...)    
    
    					-a
221.11Heard of BUGCHECK.MEM?GVA03::JRSJohn SHADEMon Apr 07 1986 10:3110
    Rebooting is the easy (sometimes only) way out. You should at least
    try and determine what the resource wait is for - sometimes it's
    possible to use DELTA to patch global locations, at the risk of
    crashing the system.
    
    I successfully got rid of a process that was stuck in RSN$_BRKTHRU
    - by using SDA, DELTA and, of vital importance, a copy of BUGCHECK.MEM
    which can be copied from VAXWRK (sys$notes the last time I looked).

    John