# Kill zombie processes in Linux

##### Check zombie processes with the top command

[![image.png](https://docs.achterkamp-it.consulting/uploads/images/gallery/2024-10/scaled-1680-/12u7bbuyyvmGRzP6-image.png)](https://docs.achterkamp-it.consulting/uploads/images/gallery/2024-10/12u7bbuyyvmGRzP6-image.png)

##### Check Linux distrubtion

[![image.png](https://docs.achterkamp-it.consulting/uploads/images/gallery/2024-10/scaled-1680-/GKDznvufCdCjvRH1-image.png)](https://docs.achterkamp-it.consulting/uploads/images/gallery/2024-10/GKDznvufCdCjvRH1-image.png)

##### Linux command and output

```
Check amount of zombie processes with the top command (see second line below)

top - 09:38:14 up 387 days, 18:32,  1 user,  load average: 2.12, 2.38, 2.57
Tasks: 717 total,   2 running, 714 sleeping,   0 stopped,   1 zombie
%Cpu(s): 19.6 us,  1.2 sy,  0.0 ni, 79.2 id,  0.1 wa,  0.0 hi,  0.0 si,  0.0 st

########################################################

Find the zombie processes

root@hetz-root ~ $ ps -A -ostat,pid,ppid | grep -e '[zZ]'
Zs   3379981 2279581

root@hetz-root ~ $ ps -ef | grep 2279581

5050     2279581 2279435  0 Mar19 ?        00:46:55 /venv/bin/python3 /venv/bin/gunicorn --limit-request-line 8190 --timeout 86400 --bind [::]:80 -w 1 --threads 25 --access-logfile - -c gunicorn_config.py run_pgadmin:app
5050     3379981 2279581  0 Sep02 ?        00:00:00 [python3] <defunct>

---------------------------

root@hetz-root ~ $ ps -ef | grep 3379981 | grep -v grep
5050     3379981 2279581  0 Sep02 ?        00:00:00 [python3] <defunct>

########################################################

Kill the zombie process

root@hetz-root ~ $ kill -9 2279581
root@hetz-root ~ $ ps -ef | grep 3379981 | grep -v grep
root@hetz-root ~ $ ps -A -ostat,pid,ppid | grep -e '[zZ]'

########################################################

Check for zombie processes again

top - 09:47:10 up 387 days, 18:41,  1 user,  load average: 2.64, 2.50, 2.52
Tasks: 712 total,   1 running, 711 sleeping,   0 stopped,   0 zombie
%Cpu(s): 10.8 us,  1.9 sy,  0.0 ni, 87.3 id,  0.0 wa,  0.0 hi,  0.0 si,  0.0 st
```

Links:  
[https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/how-kill-zombie-processes-linux](https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/how-kill-zombie-processes-linux)  
[https://www.baeldung.com/linux/clean-zombie-process](https://www.baeldung.com/linux/clean-zombie-process)