Re: [exim] Child processes don't quit when I shut down exim …

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Author: Heiko Schlittermann
Date:  
To: exim-users
Subject: Re: [exim] Child processes don't quit when I shut down exim (exim4on debian etch)
Hello,

Ari Epstein <ate2@???> (Di 27 Okt 2009 22:33:43 CET):
> Hi all,
>
> I don't have clue where to start diagnosing this so any suggestions
> about what to look for would be appreciated.
>
> I've been having an odd issue with exim today. I'll start exim and it
> will have processes running like these:
>
> 102       1243  0.0  0.1  45668  1936 ?        Ss   17:14   0:00 /usr/sbin/exim4 -bd -q30m
> root      1244  0.0  0.2  45672  3624 ?        S    17:14   0:00 /usr/sbin/exim4 -q
> root      1973  0.0  0.1  45676  2560 ?        S    17:24   0:00 /usr/sbin/exim4 -q
> 102       1974  0.0  0.2  45940  3600 ?        S    17:24   0:00 /usr/sbin/exim4 -q


If I understand the Exim design well, there is one master process (in
your listing the PID 1243). For each incoming connection and each queue
run/delivery the master forks a new child. The parent-child relation is
better visible if you use „ps axf“ or „pstree“.

To get an overview about only running Exim processes you might use
„exiwhat“.

> I shut it down using the Debian init script ('/etc/init.d/exim4
> stop'), I expect all these to go away, but instead I see:
>
> root      1244  0.0  0.2  45672  3624 ?        S    17:14   0:00 /usr/ 
> sbin/exim4 -q
> root      1973  0.0  0.1  45676  2560 ?        S    17:24   0:00 /usr/ 
> sbin/exim4 -q
> 102       1974  0.0  0.2  45940  3600 ?        S    17:24   0:00 /usr/ 
> sbin/exim4 -q


The init script just shuts down the master process, the childs will die
as soon as they've finished their job (or as soon as the machine goes
down or you kill them one by one).

> Two wierd things here:
> 1. Why is it showing 102 for the user when there is a corresponding
> "Debian-exim" entry for that user id?


Hm. I see the same exception here. So I do not have any good idea about
this.

> 2. Why don't the child processes quit?
>
> I have recently used the following commands with exim... was it a
> mistake to use sudo?:
>
> sudo exim -bpc
> sudo exim -qf
> sudo exim -qff


About the „sudo“ - no, shouldn't be a mistake, as Exim may start as root
and changes it's EUID to something less dangerous as soon as possible.

    Best regards from Dresden/Germany
    Viele Grüße aus Dresden
    Heiko Schlittermann
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