---
name: "pid_alive"
section: "9"
platform: "linux"
package: "linux-manual-3.16"
version: "3.16.56-1+deb8u1"
release: "Debian 8 (Jessie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/pid_alive"
---

# pid\_alive(9)

check that a task structure is not stale

## NAME

pid\_alive - check that a task structure is not stale

## SYNOPSIS

**int pid\_alive(const struct task\_struct \*** *p***);**

## ARGUMENTS

*p*

Task structure to be checked.

## DESCRIPTION

Test if a process is not yet dead (at most zombie state) If pid\_alive fails, then pointers within the task structure can be stale and must not be dereferenced.

## RETURN

1 if the process is alive. 0 otherwise.

## COPYRIGHT