In-Depth Overview of Linux Process Management

 Linux process and subprocess management is a sophisticated system that efficiently handles the creation, scheduling, execution, and termination of processes. Processes are created using the fork() system call, which duplicates the parent process, while the exec() system call allows the child to run a different program. Each process is assigned a unique Process ID (PID) and is tracked through a Process Control Block (PCB) that stores vital information such as memory allocation, priority, and state. The kernel uses the Completely Fair Scheduler (CFS) to allocate CPU time to processes based on priority, ensuring fairness and optimal resource usage. Processes can be in various states like running, sleeping, or stopped, and Linux employs preemptive multitasking to manage them effectively. Subprocesses, created by a parent process, inherit attributes from the parent but can have different execution paths. Inter-process communication (IPC) mechanisms like pipes, message queues, and shared memory enable processes to share data or synchronize. Upon completion, processes send termination signals to their parent, and if the parent is no longer available, the orphaned process is adopted by the init process for cleanup. Signals like SIGKILL and SIGTERM allow processes to control each other’s execution. This robust process management system ensures that Linux can run multiple applications concurrently without compromising system stability.