TestOut Linux Pro Practice Test

What command is used to kill a zombie process using its process ID?

1. kill -9 [PID]

2. terminate [PID]

3. stop [PID]

4. halt -9 [PID]

The correct answer is: kill -9 [PID]

Using the command `kill -9 [PID]` effectively terminates a zombie process by sending a specific signal to the process indicated by its process ID (PID). Zombie processes are typically child processes that have completed execution but remain in the system because their parent process has not yet read their exit status. While the default `kill` command sends a `TERM` signal (which can be ignored by the process), using `-9` sends a `KILL` signal which forcefully terminates the process and cannot be ignored. The other options do not represent valid Linux commands for terminating a process. The `terminate` command is not a standard command in Linux for managing processes, and similarly, `stop` is not a recognized command for killing processes. The command `halt` is generally used for shutting down the system rather than managing individual processes, making these incorrect choices for terminating a zombie process.