COMMAND

    ps

SYSTEMS AFFECTED

    Linux with procps up to 2.0.2

PROBLEM

    'alpen' found  following.   This bug  falls under  the category of
    programs  doing  the  "wrong  thing"  (tm).   It  was tested under
    Linux  2.3.5  and  procps  version  1.2.2.   When a user creates a
    process and it detaches from the current terminal, if the  account
    is  removed  with  the deluser, the  process(es)  stay  active but
    disappear from the process table that ps (aux) scrolls.

SOLUTION

    This bug is caused by a  defective 'ps'.  The /proc entries  still
    exists for the process, 'ps'  just fails to list it  because there
    is no corresponding entry  in the passwd file  for that UID.   Try
    ps -aunx, that causes  'ps' not to lookup  the user in the  passwd
    file.  RedHat 6.0 ships  with procps 2.0.2, this version  displays
    '#UID' in the USER column, where UID is the numeric UID, when  the
    user isn't found in the passwd file.  In short, upgrade to  2.0.2,
    the Documentation/Changes  file lists  procps 1.2.9  as a required
    package when changing to 2.2.