1PGREP(1) User Commands PGREP(1)
2
6 pgrep, pkill - look up or signal processes based on name and other
7 attributes
8
10 pgrep [options] pattern
11 pkill [options] pattern
12
14 pgrep looks through the currently running processes and lists the
15 process IDs which match the selection criteria to stdout. All the cri‐
16 teria have to match. For example,
17 $ pgrep -u root sshd
19 will only list the processes called sshd AND owned by root. On the
21 other hand,
22 $ pgrep -u root,daemon
24 will list the processes owned by root OR daemon.
26 pkill will send the specified signal (by default SIGTERM) to each
28 process instead of listing them on stdout.
29
31 -signal
32 --signal signal
33 Defines the signal to send to each matched process. Either the
34 numeric or the symbolic signal name can be used. (pkill only.)
35 -c, --count
37 Suppress normal output; instead print a count of matching pro‐
38 cesses. When count does not match anything, e.g. returns zero,
39 the command will return non-zero value.
40 -d, --delimiter delimiter
42 Sets the string used to delimit each process ID in the output
43 (by default a newline). (pgrep only.)
44 -f, --full
46 The pattern is normally only matched against the process name.
47 When -f is set, the full command line is used.
48 -g, --pgroup pgrp,...
50 Only match processes in the process group IDs listed. Process
51 group 0 is translated into pgrep's or pkill's own process group.
52 -G, --group gid,...
54 Only match processes whose real group ID is listed. Either the
55 numerical or symbolical value may be used.
56 -l, --list-name
58 List the process name as well as the process ID. (pgrep only.)
59 -a, --list-full
61 List the full command line as well as the process ID. (pgrep
62 only.)
63 -n, --newest
65 Select only the newest (most recently started) of the matching
66 processes.
67 -o, --oldest
69 Select only the oldest (least recently started) of the matching
70 processes.
71 -P, --parent ppid,...
73 Only match processes whose parent process ID is listed.
74 -s, --session sid,...
76 Only match processes whose process session ID is listed. Ses‐
77 sion ID 0 is translated into pgrep's or pkill's own session ID.
78 -t, --terminal term,...
80 Only match processes whose controlling terminal is listed. The
81 terminal name should be specified without the "/dev/" prefix.
82 -u, --euid euid,...
84 Only match processes whose effective user ID is listed. Either
85 the numerical or symbolical value may be used.
86 -U, --uid uid,...
88 Only match processes whose real user ID is listed. Either the
89 numerical or symbolical value may be used.
90 -v, --inverse
92 Negates the matching. This option is usually used in pgrep's
93 context. In pkill's context the short option is disabled to
94 avoid accidental usage of the option.
95 -w, --lightweight
97 Shows all thread ids instead of pids in pgrep's context. In
98 pkill's context this option is disabled.
99 -x, --exact
101 Only match processes whose names (or command line if -f is spec‐
102 ified) exactly match the pattern.
103 -F, --pidfile file
105 Read PID's from file. This option is perhaps more useful for
106 pkill than pgrep.
107 -L, --logpidfile
109 Fail if pidfile (see -F) not locked.
110 --ns pid
112 Match processes that belong to the same namespaces. Required to
113 run as root to match processes from other users. See --nslist
114 for how to limit which namespaces to match.
115 --nslist name,...
117 Match only the provided namespaces. Available namespaces: ipc,
118 mnt, net, pid, user,uts.
119 -V, --version
121 Display version information and exit.
122 -h, --help
124 Display help and exit.
125
127 pattern
128 Specifies an Extended Regular Expression for matching against
129 the process names or command lines.
130
132 Example 1: Find the process ID of the named daemon:
133 $ pgrep -u root named
135 Example 2: Make syslog reread its configuration file:
137 $ pkill -HUP syslogd
139 Example 3: Give detailed information on all xterm processes:
141 $ ps -fp $(pgrep -d, -x xterm)
143 Example 4: Make all netscape processes run nicer:
145 $ renice +4 $(pgrep netscape)
147
149 0 One or more processes matched the criteria.
150 1 No processes matched.
151 2 Syntax error in the command line.
152 3 Fatal error: out of memory etc.
153
155 The process name used for matching is limited to the 15 characters
156 present in the output of /proc/pid/stat. Use the -f option to match
157 against the complete command line, /proc/pid/cmdline.
158 The running pgrep or pkill process will never report itself as a match.
160
162 The options -n and -o and -v can not be combined. Let me know if you
163 need to do this.
164 Defunct processes are reported.
166
169 ps(1), regex(7), signal(7), killall(1), skill(1), kill(1), kill(2)
170
172 pkill and pgrep were introduced in Sun's Solaris 7. This implementa‐
173 tion is fully compatible.
174
176 Kjetil Torgrim Homme ⟨kjetilho@ifi.uio.no⟩
177
179 Please send bug reports to ⟨procps@freelists.org⟩
180procps-ng October 2012 PGREP(1)