Os Process Management Questions
Process termination refers to the ending or termination of a process in an operating system. It occurs when a process has completed its execution or when it is no longer needed.
Process termination can be initiated in several ways:
1. Normal termination: A process can terminate itself by reaching the end of its execution or by explicitly calling an exit system call. In this case, the process releases all the resources it was using and notifies the operating system about its termination.
2. Abnormal termination: This occurs when a process encounters an error or exception that it cannot handle. It may result from a division by zero, accessing invalid memory, or an illegal instruction. In such cases, the operating system terminates the process forcefully to prevent it from causing further damage.
3. Parent termination: If a parent process terminates before its child processes, the operating system may terminate the child processes as well. This ensures that no orphan processes are left behind without a parent to manage them.
4. External termination: An external event or signal can also initiate process termination. For example, a user may manually terminate a process using a command or a system administrator may terminate a process to free up system resources.
Overall, process termination is a crucial aspect of process management in an operating system as it ensures the efficient utilization of system resources and maintains system stability.