NAME
ps - process status
SYNOPSIS
ps [[-]alx]
OPTIONS
-a Print all processes with controlling terminals
-l Give long listing
-x Include processes without a terminal
EXAMPLES
ps # Show user's own processes in short
format
ps -axl # Print all processes and tasks in long
format
ps ..xl # Same -- the '-' is optional
DESCRIPTION
Ps prints the status of active processes. Normally only the
caller's own processes are listed in short format (the PID,
TTY, TIME and CMD fields as explained below). The long
listing contains:
F Kernel flags: 001: free slot 002:
no memory map 004: sending; 010: receiv-
ing 020: inform on pending signals 040:
pending signals 100: being traced.
S State: R: runnable W: waiting
(on a message) S: sleeping (i.e.,suspended on MM
or FS) Z: zombie T: stopped
UID, PID, PPID, PGRP The user, process, parent pro-
cess and process group ID's.
SZ Size of the process in kilobytes.
RECV Process/task on which a receiving process is
waiting or sleeping.
TTY Controlling tty for the process.
TIME Process' cumulative (user + system) execution
time.
CMD Command line arguments of the process.
The files /dev/{mem,kmem} are used to read the system tables
and command line arguments from. Terminal names in /dev are
used to generate the mnemonic names in the TTY column, so ps
is independent of terminal naming conventions.
NOTES
The '-' option prefix is not required. For marginal compa-
tibility with System V usage, the hidden option -e means the
same as -ax, and -f is the same as -l.