Re: kernel processes - are they really needed?

From: Jan Kara
Date: Wed Oct 31 2007 - 12:01:54 EST


Hi,

> When i do ps -l. i see the following processes which are obviously
> started by kernel.
>
> Could any one tell me what each of these processes do and can
> anyone of them can be removed.?
I'll write what I know :)

> PID Uid VmSize Stat Command
> 1 root 584 S init
> 2 root SWN [ksoftirqd/0]
> 3 root SW [watchdog/0]
> 4 root SW< [events/0]
> 5 root SW< [khelper]
> 6 root SW< [kthread]
> 23 root SW< [kblockd/0]
This one has something to do with block layer - like unplugging
request queue after a certain timeout etc.

> 38 root SW [pdflush]
> 39 root SW [pdflush]
Doing writeback of dirty data.

> 40 root SW< [kswapd0]
Swapping pages in and out.

> 41 root SW< [aio/0]
Kernel thread handling asynchronous IO.

> 85 root SW [mtdblockd]
> 116 root SWN [jffs2_gcd_mtd9]
jffs2 specific - ask a maintainer :) (and mtdblockd has something to
do with MTD devices so he may know that one as well).

Honza
--
Jan Kara <jack@xxxxxxx>
SuSE CR Labs
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