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 -e, --echo
46 Display name and PID of the process being killed. (pkill only.)
47 -f, --full
49 The pattern is normally only matched against the process name.
50 When -f is set, the full command line is used.
51 -g, --pgroup pgrp,...
53 Only match processes in the process group IDs listed. Process
54 group 0 is translated into pgrep's or pkill's own process group.
55 -G, --group gid,...
57 Only match processes whose real group ID is listed. Either the
58 numerical or symbolical value may be used.
59 -i, --ignore-case
61 Match processes case-insensitively.
62 -l, --list-name
64 List the process name as well as the process ID. (pgrep only.)
65 -a, --list-full
67 List the full command line as well as the process ID. (pgrep
68 only.)
69 -n, --newest
71 Select only the newest (most recently started) of the matching
72 processes.
73 -o, --oldest
75 Select only the oldest (least recently started) of the matching
76 processes.
77 -P, --parent ppid,...
79 Only match processes whose parent process ID is listed.
80 -s, --session sid,...
82 Only match processes whose process session ID is listed. Ses‐
83 sion ID 0 is translated into pgrep's or pkill's own session ID.
84 -t, --terminal term,...
86 Only match processes whose controlling terminal is listed. The
87 terminal name should be specified without the "/dev/" prefix.
88 -u, --euid euid,...
90 Only match processes whose effective user ID is listed. Either
91 the numerical or symbolical value may be used.
92 -U, --uid uid,...
94 Only match processes whose real user ID is listed. Either the
95 numerical or symbolical value may be used.
96 -v, --inverse
98 Negates the matching. This option is usually used in pgrep's
99 context. In pkill's context the short option is disabled to
100 avoid accidental usage of the option.
101 -w, --lightweight
103 Shows all thread ids instead of pids in pgrep's context. In
104 pkill's context this option is disabled.
105 -x, --exact
107 Only match processes whose names (or command line if -f is spec‐
108 ified) exactly match the pattern.
109 -F, --pidfile file
111 Read PID's from file. This option is perhaps more useful for
112 pkill than pgrep.
113 -L, --logpidfile
115 Fail if pidfile (see -F) not locked.
116 -r, --runstates D,R,S,Z,...
118 Match only processes which match the process state.
119 --ns pid
121 Match processes that belong to the same namespaces. Required to
122 run as root to match processes from other users. See --nslist
123 for how to limit which namespaces to match.
124 --nslist name,...
126 Match only the provided namespaces. Available namespaces: ipc,
127 mnt, net, pid, user,uts.
128 -V, --version
130 Display version information and exit.
131 -h, --help
133 Display help and exit.
134
136 pattern
137 Specifies an Extended Regular Expression for matching against
138 the process names or command lines.
139
141 Example 1: Find the process ID of the named daemon:
142 $ pgrep -u root named
144 Example 2: Make syslog reread its configuration file:
146 $ pkill -HUP syslogd
148 Example 3: Give detailed information on all xterm processes:
150 $ ps -fp $(pgrep -d, -x xterm)
152 Example 4: Make all chrome processes run nicer:
154 $ renice +4 $(pgrep chrome)
156
158 0 One or more processes matched the criteria. For pkill the
159 process must also have been successfully signalled.
160 1 No processes matched or none of them could be signalled.
161 2 Syntax error in the command line.
162 3 Fatal error: out of memory etc.
163
165 The process name used for matching is limited to the 15 characters
166 present in the output of /proc/pid/stat. Use the -f option to match
167 against the complete command line, /proc/pid/cmdline.
168 The running pgrep or pkill process will never report itself as a match.
170
172 The options -n and -o and -v can not be combined. Let me know if you
173 need to do this.
174 Defunct processes are reported.
176
179 ps(1), regex(7), signal(7), killall(1), skill(1), kill(1), kill(2)
180
182 Kjetil Torgrim Homme ⟨kjetilho@ifi.uio.no⟩
183
185 Please send bug reports to ⟨procps@freelists.org⟩
186procps-ng 2019-03-05 PGREP(1)