[Dovecot] Defunct processes w/ v1.2.1

[Chris O'Regan]

> > It just happened again:
> > 
> > root      2904     1  0 14:32 ?        00:00:00 /local/bin/dovecot
> > root      2907  2904  0 14:32 ?        00:00:00 dovecot-auth
> > root      2919  2904  0 14:32 ?        00:00:00 dovecot-auth -w
> > dovecot   7026  2904  0 15:02 ?        00:00:00 [imap-login <defunct>]
> > [and many other imap-login processes, all defunct]
> 
> OK, so only imap-login processes are defunct.

That appears to be the case.

BTW, I have 74 connections from our Nessus server to imaps that are in
the CLOSE_WAIT state.

> > If I telnet to "imap", a connection is established but there is no
> > greeting. 
> 
> But it anyway says "connected to localhost" and only after that hangs?

Correct:

# telnet 0 imap
Trying 0.0.0.0...
Connected to 0 (0.0.0.0).
Escape character is '^]'.

No greeting, and not response if I try to send it commands.

> What does it say if you strace dovecot process?

I can't strace the imap-login processes because they are zombies. I have
traced the other processes, connecting to localhost:imap and then
disconnecting.

# parent dovecot process
Process 2904 attached - interrupt to quit
write(9, "\21\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\1\0\0\0\253\33\0\0\1\1\0\0\0\0\0\0\2"...,
128 <unfinished ...>
Process 2904 detached

# dovecot-auth
Process 2907 attached - interrupt to quit
gettimeofday({1248207577, 195021}, {240, 0}) = 0
gettimeofday({1248207577, 195094}, NULL) = 0
poll([{fd=5, events=POLLIN|POLLPRI|POLLERR|POLLHUP|POLLNVAL}, {fd=7,
events=POLLIN|POLLPRI|POLLERR|POLLHUP|POLLNVAL}, {fd=0, events=POLLIN|
POLLPRI|POLLERR|POLLHUP|POLLNVAL}, {fd=3, events=POLLIN|POLLPRI|POLLERR|
POLLHUP|POLLNVAL}], 4, 818) = 0
gettimeofday({1248207578, 23147}, {240, 0}) = 0
gettimeofday({1248207578, 23213}, NULL) = 0
poll([{fd=5, events=POLLIN|POLLPRI|POLLERR|POLLHUP|POLLNVAL}, {fd=7,
events=POLLIN|POLLPRI|POLLERR|POLLHUP|POLLNVAL}, {fd=0, events=POLLIN|
POLLPRI|POLLERR|POLLHUP|POLLNVAL}, {fd=3, events=POLLIN|POLLPRI|POLLERR|
POLLHUP|POLLNVAL}], 4, 5000) = 0
gettimeofday({1248207583, 33171}, {240, 0}) = 0
gettimeofday({1248207583, 33238}, NULL) = 0
poll([{fd=5, events=POLLIN|POLLPRI|POLLERR|POLLHUP|POLLNVAL}, {fd=7,
events=POLLIN|POLLPRI|POLLERR|POLLHUP|POLLNVAL}, {fd=0, events=POLLIN|
POLLPRI|POLLERR|POLLHUP|POLLNVAL}, {fd=3, events=POLLIN|POLLPRI|POLLERR|
POLLHUP|POLLNVAL}], 4, 5000) = 0
gettimeofday({1248207588, 43177}, {240, 0}) = 0
gettimeofday({1248207588, 43245}, NULL) = 0
poll([{fd=5, events=POLLIN|POLLPRI|POLLERR|POLLHUP|POLLNVAL}, {fd=7,
events=POLLIN|POLLPRI|POLLERR|POLLHUP|POLLNVAL}, {fd=0, events=POLLIN|
POLLPRI|POLLERR|POLLHUP|POLLNVAL}, {fd=3, events=POLLIN|POLLPRI|POLLERR|
POLLHUP|POLLNVAL}], 4, 5000) = 0
gettimeofday({1248207593, 53183}, {240, 0}) = 0
gettimeofday({1248207593, 53249}, NULL) = 0
poll( <unfinished ...>
Process 2907 detached

# dovecot-auth -w
Process 2919 attached - interrupt to quit
gettimeofday({1248207639, 375100}, {240, 0}) = 0
poll( <unfinished ...>
Process 2919 detached

-- 
Chris O'Regan <chris at encs.concordia.ca>
Senior Unix Systems Administrator, Academic IT Services
Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science
Concordia University, Montreal, Canada