What steps will reproduce the problem?

run git annex assistant, add a file, which is picked up and pushed by the assistant.  

What is the expected output? What do you see instead?

a ps -ef shows a large number of defunct git processes.. for example:
<pre>
nelg      9622     1  0 02:01 ?        00:00:01 git-annex assistant
nelg      9637  9622  0 02:01 ?        00:00:00 git --git-dir=/home/nelg/Downloads/test2/.git --work-tree=/home/nelg/Downloads/test2 cat-file --batch
nelg     12080  9622  0 02:19 ?        00:00:00 [git] &lt;defunct&gt;
nelg     12082  9622  0 02:19 ?        00:00:00 [git] &lt;defunct&gt;
nelg     12083  9622  0 02:19 ?        00:00:00 [git] &lt;defunct&gt;
nelg     12084  9622  0 02:19 ?        00:00:00 [git] &lt;defunct&gt;
-----
</pre>

What version of git-annex are you using? On what operating system?

Compiled git annex from git (cbcd208d158f8e42dda03a5eeaf1bac21045a140), on Mandriva 2010.2, 32 bit, using ghc-7.4.1.
 git version 1.7.1


Please provide any additional information below.

I also found that the version of git I have does not support the option: --allow-empty-message
So, suggest that if the version of git installed is an older version, that the params in  Assistant/Threads/Committer.hs
are changed to  [ Param "-m", Param "git assistant".... or something like that.

I have done this on my copy for testing it.

For testing, I am also using two repositories on the same computer.  I set this up from the command line, as the web app does not seem to support syncing to two different git folders on the same computer.

> [[done]]; all zombies are squelched now in the assistant. --[[Joey]]