ps(1)ps(1)NAMEps - report process status
SYNOPSIS
grplist] proclist] prmgrplist] termlist] uidlist] pset_list]
UNIX Standard Synopsis
cmdlist] grplist] gidlist] namelist] format] proclist] prmgrplist]
sidlist] termlist] uidlist] uidlist] pset_list]
DESCRIPTION
prints information about selected processes. Use options to specify
which processes to select and what information to print about them.
Refer to usergroupname(5) to understand the functionality changes with
the Numeric User Group Name feature.
Process Selection Options
Use the following options to choose which processes should be selected.
Note: If an option is used in both the default (standard HP-UX) and
UNIX Standard (see standards(5)) environments, the description provided
here documents the default behavior. Refer to the section for addi‐
tional information on UNIX Standard behavior.
(none) Select those processes associated with the cur‐
rent terminal.
(UNIX Standard Only, see
standards(5)) Select all processes. (Synonym for
Select all processes except process group leaders and processes
not
associated with a terminal.
(UNIX Standard Only, see
standards(5)) Select processes executing a com‐
mand with a basename given in cmdlist.
Select all processes except process group leaders.
Select all processes.
Select processes whose process group leaders are given in
grplist.
(UNIX Standard Only, see
standards(5)) Select processes whose effective
group ID numbers or group names are given in
gidlist. (see usergroupname(5)).
(UNIX Standard Only, see
standards(5)) This option is ignored; its pres‐
ence is allowed for standards compliance.
Select processes whose process ID numbers are given in
proclist.
Select processes belonging to PRM process resource groups whose
names
or ID numbers are given in prmgrplist. See
DEPENDENCIES.
(UNIX Standard Only, see
standards(5)) Select processes whose session
leaders are given in sidlist. (Synonym for
Select processes associated with the terminals given in
termlist. Terminal identifiers can be specified
in one of two forms: the device's file name (such
as or if the device's file name starts with just
the rest of it (such as If the device's file is
in a directory other than or the terminal identi‐
fier must include the name of the directory under
that contains the device file (such as
Select processes whose real user ID numbers or login names are
given in
uidlist. (see usergroupname(5)).
(UNIX Standard Only, see
standards(5)) Select processes whose real user ID
numbers or login names are given in uidlist.
(see usergroupname(5)).
Select processes whose processor set ID's are given in
pset_list. This option is supported only if the
kernel supports processor sets functionality.
If any of the or options is specified, the and options are ignored.
If more than one of and are specified, the least restrictive option
takes effect.
If more than one of the and options are specified, processes will be
selected if they match any of the options specified.
The lists used as arguments to the and options can be specified in one
of two forms:
· A list of identifiers separated from one another by a comma.
· A list of identifiers enclosed in quotation marks () and separated
from one another by a comma and/or one or more spaces.
Output Format Options
Use the following options to control which columns of data are included
in the output listing. The options are cumulative.
(none) The default columns are: and in that order.
Show columns and in that order.
Show columns and in that order.
Show columns and in that order.
(UNIX Standard Only, see
standards(5)) Remove columns and replace column
with columns and
(UNIX Standard Only, see
standards(5)) Add columns and after column (or if
is not being displayed).
Add column before column / If and are not present, add col‐
umn before column (Note that displays the kernel
processor set id, where all kernel daemons run,
as
The option is supported only if the kernel sup‐
ports processor sets functionality.
Add column (for or (for or immediately before column See the
section.
(UNIX Standard Only, see
standards(5)) format is a comma- or space-sepa‐
rated list of the columns to display, in the
order they should be displayed. (Valid column
names are listed below.) A column name can
optionally be followed by an equals sign and a
string to use as the heading for that column.
(Any commas or spaces after the equals sign
become part of the column heading. If more col‐
umns are desired, they must be specified with
additional options.) The width of the column
will be the greater of the width of the data to
be displayed and the width of the column heading.
If an empty column heading is specified for every
heading, no heading line will be printed. This
option overrides options and if they are speci‐
fied, they are ignored.
(UNIX Standard Only.)
Shows the process hierarchy. Each process is
displayed under its parent, and the contents of
the or column for that process is indented from
that of its parent. Note that this option is
expensive in both memory and speed.
Shows the command line in extended format.
The column names and their meanings are given below. Except where
noted, the default heading for each column is the uppercase form of the
column name.
The memory address of the process, if resident;
otherwise, the disk address.
The command line given when the process was created.
This column should be the last one specified, if
it is desired. Only a subset of the command line
is saved by the kernel; as much of the command
line will be displayed as is available. The out‐
put in this column may contain spaces. The
default heading for this column is if is speci‐
fied and otherwise.
Process scheduling class, see
rtsched(1).
The command name.
The output in this column may contain spaces.
The default heading for this column is if is
specified and otherwise.
Processor utilization for scheduling.
The default heading for this column is
Elapsed time of the process.
The default heading for this column is
Flags (octal and additive) associated with the process:
Swapped
In core
System process
Locked in core (e.g., for physical I/O)
Being traced by another process
Another tracing flag
Text is locked in memory
Data is locked in memory
For internal use
Has associated Lazy Swap region(s)
Has 64-bit address space layout
Was or is privileged
Is ganged
Has non-default core file settings
The default heading for this column is
The priority of the process as it is stored internally by the
kernel.
This column is provided for backward compatibil‐
ity and its use is not encouraged.
The group ID number of the effective process owner.
The group name of the effective process owner.
Nice value; used in priority computation (see
nice(1)). The default heading for this column is
The percentage of CPU time used by this process during the last
scheduling
interval. The default heading for this column is
The process group ID number of the process group to which this
process belongs.
The process ID number of the process.
The process ID number of the parent process.
The priority of the process.
The meaning of the value depends on the process
scheduling class; see above, and rtsched(1).
The PRM process resource group ID number.
The PRM process resource group name.
The group ID number of the real process owner.
The group name of the real process owner.
The user ID number of the real process owner.
The processor set ID on which this process is running.
The login name of the real process owner.
The session ID number of the session to which this process
belongs.
The state of the process:
Nonexistent
Sleeping
Waiting
Running
Intermediate
Terminated
Stopped
Growing
The default heading for this column is
Starting time of the process.
If the elapsed time is greater than 24 hours, the
starting date is displayed instead.
The size in physical pages of the core image of the process,
including text, data, and stack space. Physical
page size is defined by in the header file (see
sysconf(2) and unistd(5)).
The cumulative execution time for the process.
The controlling terminal for the process.
The default heading for this column is if is
specified and otherwise.
The user ID number of the effective process owner.
The login name of the effective process owner.
The size of the process in (virtual) memory in kilobytes (1024
byte units).
The event for which the process is waiting or sleeping;
if there is none, a hyphen (-) is displayed.
Notes
prints the command name and arguments given at the time of the process
was created. If the process changes its arguments while running (by
writing to its argv array), these changes are not displayed by
A process that has exited and has a parent, but has not yet been waited
for by the parent, is marked (see in exit(2)).
The time printed in the column, and used in computing the value for the
column, is the time when the process was forked, the time when it was
modified by
To make the output safer to display and easier to read, all control
characters in the and columns are displayed as "visible" equivalents in
the customary control character format,
The default length of the field is 128 (including the null terminator).
This can be configured by setting in the file. The value of should be
between 64 and 1020. However, when the column is displayed, by
default, the length of the field will be 14 characters. If the envi‐
ronment variable is defined, then the length of the field will be
between 64 and 255 characters.
Under UNIX Standard (see standards(5)) environment, the following
behavioral changes occur:
· The column format changes from to [dd-]
· When the and fields are included by default or the or flags are
used, the column headings of those fields change to and respec‐
tively.
· and will select processes based on session rather than on process
group.
· The uid or user column displayed by or will display effective user
rather than real user.
· The option will select users based on effective UID rather than
real UID.
· The and options, while they are not part of the UNIX Standard, are
enabled.
EXTERNAL INFLUENCES
For information about the UNIX standard environment, see standards(5).
Environment Variables
determines the format and contents of date and time strings. If it is
not specified or is null, it defaults to the value of
If is not specified or is null, it defaults to (see lang(5)).
If any internationalization variable contains an invalid setting, all
internationalization variables default to (see environ(5)).
International Code Set Support
Single-byte character code sets are supported.
EXAMPLES
Generate a full listing of all processes currently running on your
machine:
To see if a certain process exists on the machine, such as the clock
daemon, check the far right column for the command name, or try
WARNINGS
Processes can change while is running. The command displays processes
at only a snapshot in time. Data printed for defunct processes is
irrelevant.
If two special files for terminals are located at the same select code,
that terminal may be reported with either name. The user can select
processes with that terminal using either name.
Users of must not rely on the exact field widths and spacing of its
output, as these will vary depending on the system, the release of HP-
UX, and the data to be displayed.
When non-standard options are mixed with standard options, then the
behavior may be non-standard.
DEPENDENCIES
HP Process Resource Manager
The and options require the optional HP Process Resource Manager (PRM)
software to be installed and configured. See prmconfig(1) for a
description of how to configure HP PRM, and prmconf(4) for the defini‐
tion of "process resource group."
If HP PRM is not installed and configured and or is specified, a warn‐
ing message is displayed and (for hyphens (-) are displayed in the and
columns.
FILES
Directory of terminal device files
User ID information
Internal data structure
SEE ALSOkill(1), nice(1), acctcom(1M), exec(2), exit(2), fork(2), sysconf(2),
standards(5), unistd(5), usergroupname(5).
HP Process Resource Manager: prmconfig(1), prmconf(4) in
STANDARDS COMPLIANCEps(1)
