Check Running Processes Linux

Table of Contents

• Table of Contents
• Introduction
  • Using ps Command
  • Using top Command
  • Using htop Command
    • Debian/Ubuntu:
    • Fedora:
    • Arch Linux:
  • Using pidof Command
  • Using pgrep Command
  • Using pkill Command
• Conclusion

Introduction

Checking running processes in Linux is a common task that can be done using several tools and commands. Below are some of the most commonly used methods:

Using ps Command

The ps command provides information about currently running processes.

ps aux

• a: Shows processes for all users.
• u: Displays a full-format listing.
• x: Includes processes not attached to a terminal.

Sample output

USER         PID %CPU %MEM    VSZ   RSS TTY      STAT START   TIME COMMAND
root           1  0.1  0.0   4588  3712 pts/0    Ss   19:31   0:00 bash
root          10  100  0.0   7888  3840 pts/0    R+   19:31   0:00 ps aux

Using top Command

The top command is an interactive tool that displays real-time information about running processes.

top

This command provides a dynamic view of your system, showing you the most resource-intensive processes at the top. Press q to exit the top command.

Using htop Command

The htop command is an enhanced version of top with a more user-friendly interface. It’s not pre-installed on all systems but can be easily installed using your package manager.

Debian/Ubuntu:

sudo apt-get install htop

Fedora:

sudo dnf install htop

Arch Linux:

sudo pacman -S htop

Once installed, you can run htop with:

htop

Using pidof Command

The pidof command is used to find the process ID(s) of a given process name.

pidof <process_name>

For example, to find the PID of the nginx process:

pidof nginx

Using pgrep Command

The pgrep command allows you to search for processes based on various attributes like name, user, or command line arguments.

pgrep <process_name>

For example, to find the PID of all ssh processes:

pgrep sshd

Using pkill Command

The pkill command is used to send signals to processes based on their names or attributes.

pkill <process_name>

For example, to kill all nginx processes:

pkill nginx

These commands and tools should help you effectively check and manage the running processes on your Linux system.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you should be able to free up significant space on your Linux system.