- How to check running process in Linux using command line
- Check running process in Linux
- How to manage processes from the Linux terminal
- Linux pgrep command
- Linux top command
- Linux htop command to check running process in Linux
- Linux kill command
- Linux pkill command
- Linux killall command
- Linux nice and renice command
- How to check running process in Ubuntu Linux using command line
- Check running process in Ubuntu Linux
- How to manage processes from the Ubuntu Linux terminal
- Ubuntu Linux pgrep command
- Ubuntu Linux top and htop commands
- Ubuntu Linux kill command
- Ubuntu Linux pkill command
- Ubuntu Linux killall command
- Ubuntu Linux nice and renice command
- Conclusion
- How to List Running Processes in Linux: A Beginner’s Guide
- Introduction to Linux Processes
- How to List Running Processes in Linux?
- Utilizing the “ps” Command
- Using the “top” Command
- Running “htop” Command
- Conclusion
How to check running process in Linux using command line
I am a new system administrator for the Linux operating system. How do I check running process in Linux using the command line option?
Tutorial details | |
---|---|
Difficulty level | Easy |
Root privileges | Yes |
Requirements | Linux terminal |
Est. reading time | 4 mintues |
One can use the Linux command line or terminal app to display a running process, change their priorities level, delete process and more. This page shows how to use various commands to list, kill and manage process on Linux.
Check running process in Linux
The procedure to monitor the running process in Linux using the command line is as follows:
- Open the terminal window on Linux
- For remote Linux server use the ssh command for log in purpose
- Type the ps aux command to see all running process in Linux
- Alternatively, you can issue the top command or htop command to view running process in Linux
Let us see some example and usage in details.
Please note that vivek@nixcraft:
$ is my shell prompt. You need to type commands after the $ prompt.
How to manage processes from the Linux terminal
The ps command is a traditional Linux command to lists running processes. The following command shows all processes running on your Linux based server or system:
vivek@nixcraft:
$ ps -aux
vivek@nixcraft:
- root – User name
- 1 – PID (Linux process ID)
- 19:10 – Process start time
- /sbin/init splash – Actual process or command
There may be too many processes. Hence, it uses the following less command/more command as pipe to display process one screen at a time:
vivek@nixcraft:
$ ps -aux | more
vivek@nixcraft:
$ sudo ps -aux | less
Press q to exit from above Linux pagers. You can search for a particular Linux process using grep command/egrep command:
vivek@nixcraft:
$ ps aux | grep firefox
vivek@nixcraft:
$ sudo ps aux | grep vim
vivek@nixcraft:
$ sudo ps -aux | egrep ‘sshd|openvpn|nginx’
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Linux pgrep command
Many variants of Linux comes with the pgrep command to search/find process. The syntax is:
vivek@nixcraft:
$ sudo pgrep sshd
vivek@nixcraft:
$ pgrep vim
vivek@nixcraft:
$ pgrep firefox
vivek@nixcraft:
Linux top command
The top command is another highly recommended method to see your Linux servers resource usage. One can see a list of top process that using the most memory or CPU or disk.
vivek@nixcraft:
$ sudo top
vivek@nixcraft:
Linux htop command to check running process in Linux
The htop command is an interactive process viewer and recommended method for Linux users. One can see a list of top process that using the most memory or CPU or disk and more:
vivek@nixcraft:
$ sudo htop
vivek@nixcraft:
Linux kill command
Want to kill a process? Try kill command. The syntax is:
vivek@nixcraft:
$ kill pid
vivek@nixcraft:
$ kill -signal pid
Find PID using ps, pgrep or top commands. Say you want to kill a PID # 16750, run:
vivek@nixcraft:
$ kill 16750
For some reason if the process can not be killed, try forceful killing:
vivek@nixcraft:
$ kill -9 16750
OR
vivek@nixcraft:
$ kill -KILL 16750
Linux pkill command
If you wish to kill a process by name, try pkill command. The syntax is:
vivek@nixcraft:
$ pkill processName
vivek@nixcraft:
$ pkill vim
vivek@nixcraft:
$ pkill firefox
vivek@nixcraft:
$ pkill -9 emacs
vivek@nixcraft:
$ sudo pkill -KILL php7-fpm
Linux killall command
The killall command kills processes by name, as opposed to the selection by PID as done by kill command:
vivek@nixcraft:
$ killall vim
vivek@nixcraft:
$ killall -9 emacs
Linux nice and renice command
The primary purpose of the nice command is to run a process/command at a lower or higher priority. Use the renice command to alter the nice value of one or more running Linux processes. The nice value can range from -20 to 19, with 19 being the lowest priority. Say, you want to compile software on a busy Linux server. You can set a very low priority, enter:
vivek@nixcraft:
$ nice -n 13 cc -c *.c &
Set a very high priority for a kernel update. Before rebooting Linux server, run:
Источник
How to check running process in Ubuntu Linux using command line
I am a new Ubuntu sysadmin for the Ubuntu Linux operating system. How do I check running process in Ubuntu Linux using the command line option?
One can use the Ubuntu Linux command line or terminal app to display a running process, change their priorities level, delete process and more. This page shows how to use various commands to list, kill and manage process on Ubuntu Linux.
Tutorial details | |
---|---|
Difficulty level | Easy |
Root privileges | Yes |
Requirements | Ubuntu Linux |
Est. reading time | 5m |
Check running process in Ubuntu Linux
The procedure to monitor the running process in Ubuntu Linux using the command line is as follows:
- Open the terminal window on Ubuntu Linux
- For remote Ubuntu Linux server use the ssh command for log in purpose
- Type the ps aux command to see all running process in Ubuntu Linux
- Alternatively, you can issue the top command/htop command to view running process in Ubuntu Linux
Let us see some example and usage for Ubuntu Linux in details.
NOTE: Please note that >$
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- Join my Patreon to support independent content creators and start reading latest guides:
- How to set up Redis sentinel cluster on Ubuntu or Debian Linux
- How To Set Up SSH Keys With YubiKey as two-factor authentication (U2F/FIDO2)
- How to set up Mariadb Galera cluster on Ubuntu or Debian Linux
- A podman tutorial for beginners – part I (run Linux containers without Docker and in daemonless mode)
- How to protect Linux against rogue USB devices using USBGuard
Join Patreon ➔
How to manage processes from the Ubuntu Linux terminal
The ps command is a traditional Ubuntu Linux command to lists running processes. The following command shows all processes running on your system: There may be too many processes. Hence, it uses the following less command/more command as pipe to display process one screen at a time: >$ sudo ps -aux | less >$ sudo ps aux | grep chromium-browser >$ sudo ps -aux | egrep ‘sshd|openvpn’ Many variants of Ubuntu Linux comes with the pgrep command to search/find process. The syntax is: The top command is another highly recommended method to see your Ubuntu Linux servers resource usage. One can see a list of top process that using the most memory or CPU or disk. Want to kill a process? Try kill command. The syntax is: >$ kill -signal pid >$ kill 3932 If you wish to kill a process by name, try pkill command. The syntax is: >$ sudo pkill -KILL php7-fpm The killall command kills processes by name, as opposed to the selection by PID as done by kill command: >$ killall -9 emacs The primary purpose of the nice command is to run a process/command at a lower or higher priority. Use the renice command to alter the nice value of one or more running Ubuntu Linux processes. The nice value can range from -20 to 19, with 19 being the lowest priority. Say, you want to compile software on a busy Ubuntu Linux server. You can set a very low priority, enter: >$ nice -n 13 cc -c *.c & To change the priority of a running process, type the following: >$ sudo renice -10 $(pgrep vim) This page shows how to manage the process on the Ubuntu Linux terminal. For further info see man pages or our example pages: 🐧 Get the latest tutorials on Linux, Open Source & DevOps via Источник Need to view all running processes on your Linux server and discover which consumes your resources the most? Look no further, because, in this article, we’ll explain how to list Linux processes by using several common commands. A process is the execution of a program. They can be launched when opening an application or when issuing a command through the command-line terminal. A command can only generate a process. However, an application can run multiple processes for different tasks. For instance, Google Chrome will start a different process each time a new tab is opened. Each Linux process is assigned a unique PID (process identification number). If there are no possible combinations left, the system can reuse old PIDs for newer processes. A process can be initiated as a foreground or background process. By default, all commands that run in the shell will start as foreground processes. As the process occupies the shell, you have to wait until it is finished before executing other commands. If a command takes too long to complete, you can run it as a background process by adding an ampersand (&) at the end of the command so you can use the shell for other tasks. Occasionally, processes may consume a lot of resources and need to be killed. Alternatively, times when you may want to change the priority level of a process, so the system will allocate more resources to it. Regardless of the case, all these tasks require you to do the same thing: listing the running processes on Linux. There are several commands that you can use to list running processes: ps, top, and htop. The ps (process statuses) command produces a snapshot of all running processes. Therefore, unlike the Windows task manager, the results are static. When this command is used without any additional argument or option, it will return a list of running processes along with four crucial columns: the PID, terminal name (TTY), running time (TIME), and the name of the command that launches the process (CMD). The top command is used to discover resource-hungry processes. This Linux command will sort the list by CPU usage, so the process which consumes the most resources will be placed at the top. Unlike the ps command, the output of the top command is updated periodically. That means you’ll see real-time updates for CPU usage and running time. Keep in mind that the keys above are case sensitive, so be sure not to enable the caps lock. Both the htop and top command display the same information when listing your Linux processes, but the former offers user-friendly features that are great for everyday process management. First thing first, the htop command allows you to scroll vertically and horizontally. As such, you can see the complete list of your Linux processes along with their full command lines. What’s more, the command allows you to use a mouse to select items, kill processes without inserting their PIDs, change the priority of multiple processes easily, and so on. Unfortunately, most Linux distributions don’t have this command right out of the box, so you need to install it manually. If you use Ubuntu, you can install htop by running the following command: Once installed, type htop, and you’ll get a list of all your Linux processes. It is important to know how to list all running processes in your Linux operating system. The knowledge will be useful when you need to manage processes. Let’s take a look once more at the three commands that you can use to list Linux processes: Which command do you prefer? Share your thoughts in the comment section below! Domantas leads the content and SEO teams forward with fresh ideas and out of the box approaches. Armed with extensive SEO and marketing knowledge, he aims to spread the word of Hostinger to every corner of the world. During his free time, Domantas likes to hone his web development skills and travel to exotic places. Источник
Press q to exit from above Ubuntu Linux pagers. You can search for a particular Ubuntu Linux process using grep command/egrep command: Ubuntu Linux pgrep command
Ubuntu Linux top and htop commands
Ubuntu Linux kill command
Find PID using ps, pgrep or top command. Say you want to kill a PID # 3932, run:
For some reason if the process can not be killed, try forceful killing: Ubuntu Linux pkill command
Ubuntu Linux killall command
Ubuntu Linux nice and renice command
Set a very high priority for a kernel update. Before rebooting Ubuntu Linux server, run:Conclusion
How to List Running Processes in Linux: A Beginner’s Guide
Introduction to Linux Processes
How to List Running Processes in Linux?
Utilizing the “ps” Command
You can use ps aux to get more in-depth information about your running processes. Here’s a breakdown of each argument:
If you want to list Linux processes in a hierarchical view, use the ps -axjf command. In this format, the shell will put child processes under their parent processes.
Aside from those two options, here are some other common examples of the ps command that list running processes in Linux:
Using the “top” Command
Once the shell returns the list, you can press the following keys to interact with it:
Keys Functions k Kills a process M Sorts the list by memory usage. N Sorts the list by PID. r Changes the priority of a process. h Displays the help window. z Displays running processes in colors. d Changes the refresh time interval. c Displays the absolute path of a process. CTRL+C or q Stops the top command. Running “htop” Command
Just like the previous command, htop also has several keyboard shortcuts:
Keys Functions F9 To kill a process. F8 Increase the priority of a process. F7 Decrease the priority of a process. F6 Sort processes by any column. F5 Display processes in a tree view. F4 Filter the processes by name. F3 Search for a process. F2 Open htop setup. F1 Display the help menu. Conclusion