Process Lifecycle Explorer

Visualize how Linux processes transition between states and how signals control their behavior.

State Machine Diagram
scheduled I/O wait / sleep() I/O complete / signal SIGSTOP / Ctrl+Z SIGCONT (fg/bg) exit() / return parent wait() SIGKILL / SIGTERM Created fork() Running R Sleeping S Stopped T Zombie Z Terminated exit Click a state to explore its details
R

Running

State symbol: R
Why This Matters
Understanding process states is essential for debugging hung applications, managing system resources, and writing reliable services. When a production server becomes unresponsive, knowing the difference between a sleeping and zombie process can mean the difference between a quick fix and hours of downtime.
Signal Reference
Command Reference