On 15 May 2001, Assar Westerlund wrote:

# Date: 15 May 2001 14:12:15 +0200
# From: Assar Westerlund <assar@netbsd.org>
# To: Johan Danielsson <joda@pdc.kth.se>
# Cc: tech-userlevel@netbsd.org
# Subject: Re: cron syslogs
#
# joda@pdc.kth.se (Johan Danielsson) writes:
# > The easiest way out is to more or less s/ProgramName/getprogname()/,
# > but it also changes the name to uppercase for subprocesses, which
# > would get lost with that change.
#
# 	/* mark ourselves as different to PS command watchers by upshifting
# 	 * our program name.  This has no effect on some kernels.
# 	 */
#
# I assume that means it's there not to trick programs counting the
# number of running crons, or trying to kill them.  But perhaps Paul
# knews better?  I would say remove it.

I'd say keep it.  It means that if you have large amounts of cron-babies,
you can just kill them wholesale instead of trying to guess which one
is mama and avoiding that one.

Sorry for the graphic detail and/or choice of aphorisms -- I'm in a
hurry, and it was the best way I could think to explain them.

				--*greywolf;
--
*BSD: SIMMs Like Good Code.