>Number:         11930
>Category:       bin
>Synopsis:       ps(1) shows parantheses around some (commands) but not documented.
>Confidential:   no
>Severity:       non-critical
>Priority:       low
>Responsible:    bin-bug-people
>State:          open
>Class:          doc-bug
>Submitter-Id:   net
>Arrival-Date:   Wed Jan 10 15:18:00 PST 2001
>Closed-Date:
>Last-Modified:
>Originator:     Jeremy C. Reed
>Release:        1.5.1_ALPHA
>Organization:
	
>Environment:
	
System: NetBSD rainier.reedmedia.net 1.5.1_ALPHA NetBSD 1.5.1_ALPHA (JCR-1.5-20010108) #0: Mon Jan 8 09:25:45 PST 2001 reed@rainier:/usr/src/sys/arch/i386/compile/JCR-1.5-20010108 i386


>Description:
	ps(1) sometimes shows parentheses around some commands. The manual
page doesn't tell why. The source is not clear.
>How-To-Repeat:
$ ps -ax | grep '('
    0 ?? DLs   0:00.18 (swapper)
    2 ?? DL    0:00.07 (pagedaemon)
    3 ?? DL    0:02.38 (reaper)
    4 ?? DL    0:20.63 (ioflush)
  219 ?? S    27:18.14 /usr/X11R6/bin/X :0 (XF86_SVGA)
  235 ?? I     0:00.64 (dns helper) (netscape)
>Fix:
Patches for /usr/src/bin/ps/print.c and ps.1 follow:

--- /usr/src/bin/ps/print.c     Wed Jan 10 15:01:12 2001
+++ ps-print.c  Wed Jan 10 15:07:09 2001
@@ -165,6 +165,8 @@
        char *title;
        int namelen;
 
+       /* See if it looks like its a special system process or thread */
+
        if (argv == 0 || argv[0] == 0)
                return (1);
 
@@ -304,6 +306,10 @@
                                        fmt_putc(' ', &left);
                                }
                        }
+                       /*
+                        * Special system processes or threads are
+                        * shown within parentheses.
+                       */ 
                        if (titlecmp(name, argv)) {
                                fmt_putc('(', &left);
                                fmt_puts(name, &left);

--- /usr/src/bin/ps/ps.1        Sun Jun 25 07:32:15 2000
+++ ps.1        Wed Jan 10 15:14:51 2001
@@ -386,6 +386,7 @@
 is entitled to destroy this information, so the names cannot be depended
 on too much.
 The ucomm (accounting) keyword can, however, be depended on.
+Special system processes or threads are shown within parentheses.
 .Sh KEYWORDS
 The following is a complete list of the available keywords and their
 meanings.



>Release-Note:
>Audit-Trail:
>Unformatted: