procps/pgrep.1

.\" Manual page for pgrep / pkill.
.\" Licensed under version 2 of the GNU General Public License.
.\" Copyright 2000 Kjetil Torgrim Homme
.\"
.TH PGREP "1" "October 2012" "procps-ng" "User Commands"
.SH NAME
pgrep, pkill \- look up or signal processes based on name and other attributes
.SH SYNOPSIS
.B pgrep
[options] pattern
.br
.B pkill
[options] pattern
.SH DESCRIPTION
.B pgrep
looks through the currently running processes and lists the process IDs which
matches the selection criteria to stdout.  All the criteria have to match.
For example,
.IP
$ pgrep \-u root sshd
.PP
will only list the processes called
.B sshd
AND owned by
.BR root .
On the other hand,
.IP
$ pgrep \-u root,daemon
.PP
will list the processes owned by
.B root
OR
.BR daemon .
.PP
.B pkill
will send the specified signal (by default
.BR SIGTERM )
to each process instead of listing them on stdout.
.SH OPTIONS
.TP
\fB\-\fR\fIsignal\fP
.TQ
\fB\-\-signal\fR \fIsignal\fR
Defines the signal to send to each matched process.  Either the numeric or
the symbolic signal name can be used.
.RB ( pkill
only.)
.TP
\fB\-c\fR, \fB\-\-count\fR
Suppress normal output; instead print a count of matching processes.  When
count does not match anything, e.g. returns zero, the command will return
non-zero value. 
.TP
\fB\-d\fR, \fB\-\-delimiter\fR \fIdelimiter\fP
Sets the string used to delimit each process ID in the output (by default a
newline).
.RB ( pgrep
only.)
.TP
\fB\-f\fR, \fB\-\-full\fR
The
.I pattern
is normally only matched against the process name.  When
.B \-f
is set, the full command line is used.
.TP
\fB\-g\fR, \fB\-\-pgroup\fR \fIpgrp\fP,...
Only match processes in the process group IDs listed.  Process group 0 is
translated into
.BR pgrep 's
or
.BR pkill 's
own process group.
.TP
\fB\-G\fR, \fB\-\-group\fR \fIgid\fP,...
Only match processes whose real group ID is listed.  Either the numerical or
symbolical value may be used.
.TP
\fB\-l\fR, \fB\-\-list\-name\fR
List the process name as well as the process ID.
.RB ( pgrep
only.)
.TP
\fB\-a\fR, \fB\-\-list\-full\fR
List the full command line as well as the process ID.
.RB ( pgrep
only.)
.TP
\fB\-n\fR, \fB\-\-newest\fR
Select only the newest (most recently started) of the matching processes.
.TP
\fB\-o\fR, \fB\-\-oldest\fR
Select only the oldest (least recently started) of the matching processes.
.TP
\fB\-P\fR, \fB\-\-parent\fR \fIppid\fP,...
Only match processes whose parent process ID is listed.
.TP
\fB\-s\fR, \fB\-\-session\fR \fIsid\fP,...
Only match processes whose process session ID is listed.  Session ID 0
is translated into
.BR pgrep 's
or
.BR pkill 's
own session ID.
.TP
\fB\-t\fR, \fB\-\-terminal\fR \fIterm\fP,...
Only match processes whose controlling terminal is listed.  The terminal name
should be specified without the "/dev/" prefix.
.TP
\fB\-u\fR, \fB\-\-euid\fR \fIeuid\fP,...
Only match processes whose effective user ID is listed.  Either the numerical
or symbolical value may be used.
.TP
\fB\-U\fR, \fB\-\-uid\fR \fIuid\fP,...
Only match processes whose real user ID is listed.  Either the numerical or
symbolical value may be used.
.TP
\fB\-v\fR, \fB\-\-inverse\fR\fR
Negates the matching.  This option usually used in pgrep context.  In
.B pkill
context the short option is disabled to avoid accidental usage of the option.
.TP
\fB\-x\fR, \fB\-\-exact\fR\fR
Only match processes whose name (or command line if \-f is specified)
.B exactly
match the
.IR pattern .
.TP
\fB\-F\fR, \fB\-\-pidfile\fR \fIfile\fR
Read
.IR PID 's
from file.  This option is perhaps more useful for
.B pkill
than
.BR pgrep .
.TP
\fB\-L\fR, \fB\-\-logpidfile\fR
Fail if pidfile (see -F) not locked.
.TP
\fB\-V\fR, \fB\-\-version\fR
Display version information and exit.
.TP
\fB\-h\fR, \fB\-\-help\fR
Display help and exit.
.PD
.SH OPERANDS
.TP
.I pattern
Specifies an Extended Regular Expression for matching against the process
names or command lines.
.SH EXAMPLES
Example 1: Find the process ID of the
.B named
daemon:
.IP
$ pgrep \-u root named
.PP
Example 2: Make
.B syslog
reread its configuration file:
.IP
$ pkill \-HUP syslogd
.PP
Example 3: Give detailed information on all
.B xterm
processes:
.IP
$ ps \-fp $(pgrep \-d, \-x xterm)
.PP
Example 4: Make all
.B netscape
processes run nicer:
.IP
$ renice +4 $(pgrep netscape)
.SH "EXIT STATUS"
.PD 0
.TP
0
One or more processes matched the criteria.
.TP
1
No processes matched.
.TP
2
Syntax error in the command line.
.TP
3
Fatal error: out of memory etc.
.PD
.SH NOTES
The process name used for matching is limited to the 15 characters present in
the output of /proc/\fIpid\fP/stat.  Use the \-f option to match against the
complete command line, /proc/\fIpid\fP/cmdline.
.PP
The running
.B pgrep
or
.B pkill
process will never report itself as a
match.
.SH BUGS
The options
.B \-n
and
.B \-o
and
.B \-v
can not be combined.  Let
me know if you need to do this.
.PP
Defunct processes are reported.

.SH "SEE ALSO"
.BR ps (1),
.BR regex (7),
.BR signal (7),
.BR killall (1),
.BR skill (1),
.BR kill (1),
.BR kill (2)
.SH STANDARDS
.B pkill
and
.B pgrep
were introduced in Sun's Solaris 7.  This implementation is fully compatible.
.SH AUTHOR
.UR kjetilho@ifi.uio.no
Kjetil Torgrim Homme
.UE
.SH "REPORTING BUGS"
Please send bug reports to
.UR procps@freelists.org
.UE