PGREP(1)                                  User Commands                                  PGREP(1)



NAME
       pgrep, pkill - look up or signal processes based on name and other attributes

SYNOPSIS
       pgrep [options] pattern
       pkill [options] pattern

DESCRIPTION
       pgrep  looks through the currently running processes and lists the process IDs which match
       the selection criteria to stdout.  All the criteria have to match.  For example,

              $ pgrep -u root sshd

       will only list the processes called sshd AND owned by root.  On the other hand,

              $ pgrep -u root,daemon

       will list the processes owned by root OR daemon.

       pkill will send the specified signal (by default SIGTERM) to each process instead of list‐
       ing them on stdout.

OPTIONS
       -signal
       --signal signal
              Defines the signal to send to each matched process.  Either the numeric or the sym‐
              bolic signal name can be used.  (pkill only.)

       -c, --count
              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.

       -d, --delimiter delimiter
              Sets  the  string  used to delimit each process ID in the output (by default a new‐
              line).  (pgrep only.)

       -f, --full
              The pattern is normally only matched against the process name.  When -f is set, the
              full command line is used.

       -g, --pgroup pgrp,...
              Only  match  processes  in the process group IDs listed.  Process group 0 is trans‐
              lated into pgrep's or pkill's own process group.

       -G, --group gid,...
              Only match processes whose real group ID is listed.  Either the numerical  or  sym‐
              bolical value may be used.

       -l, --list-name
              List the process name as well as the process ID.  (pgrep only.)

       -a, --list-full
              List the full command line as well as the process ID.  (pgrep only.)

       -n, --newest
              Select only the newest (most recently started) of the matching processes.

       -o, --oldest
              Select only the oldest (least recently started) of the matching processes.

       -P, --parent ppid,...
              Only match processes whose parent process ID is listed.

       -s, --session sid,...
              Only  match  processes  whose process session ID is listed.  Session ID 0 is trans‐
              lated into pgrep's or pkill's own session ID.

       -t, --terminal term,...
              Only match processes whose controlling  terminal  is  listed.   The  terminal  name
              should be specified without the "/dev/" prefix.

       -u, --euid euid,...
              Only  match  processes  whose effective user ID is listed.  Either the numerical or
              symbolical value may be used.

       -U, --uid uid,...
              Only match processes whose real user ID is listed.  Either the numerical or symbol‐
              ical value may be used.

       -v, --inverse
              Negates  the matching.  This option is usually used in pgrep's context.  In pkill's
              context the short option is disabled to avoid accidental usage of the option.

       -w, --lightweight
              Shows all thread ids instead of pids in pgrep's context.  In pkill's  context  this
              option is disabled.

       -x, --exact
              Only match processes whose names (or command line if -f is specified) exactly match
              the pattern.

       -F, --pidfile file
              Read PID's from file.  This option is perhaps more useful for pkill than pgrep.

       -L, --logpidfile
              Fail if pidfile (see -F) not locked.

       --ns pid
              Match processes that belong to the same namespaces. Required  to  run  as  root  to
              match processes from other users. See --nslist for how to limit which namespaces to
              match.

       --nslist name,...
              Match only the provided namespaces.  Available  namespaces:  ipc,  mnt,  net,  pid,
              user,uts.

       -V, --version
              Display version information and exit.

       -h, --help
              Display help and exit.

OPERANDS
       pattern
              Specifies  an Extended Regular Expression for matching against the process names or
              command lines.

EXAMPLES
       Example 1: Find the process ID of the named daemon:

              $ pgrep -u root named

       Example 2: Make syslog reread its configuration file:

              $ pkill -HUP syslogd

       Example 3: Give detailed information on all xterm processes:

              $ ps -fp $(pgrep -d, -x xterm)

       Example 4: Make all netscape processes run nicer:

              $ renice +4 $(pgrep netscape)

EXIT STATUS
       0      One or more processes matched the criteria.
       1      No processes matched.
       2      Syntax error in the command line.
       3      Fatal error: out of memory etc.

NOTES
       The process name used for matching is limited to the 15 characters present in  the  output
       of  /proc/pid/stat.   Use  the  -f  option  to  match  against  the complete command line,
       /proc/pid/cmdline.

       The running pgrep or pkill process will never report itself as a match.

BUGS
       The options -n and -o and -v can not be combined.  Let me know if you need to do this.

       Defunct processes are reported.


SEE ALSO
       ps(1), regex(7), signal(7), killall(1), skill(1), kill(1), kill(2)

STANDARDS
       pkill and pgrep were introduced in Sun's Solaris 7.  This implementation is fully compati‐
       ble.

AUTHOR
       Kjetil Torgrim Homme ⟨kjetilho AT ifi.no⟩

REPORTING BUGS
       Please send bug reports to ⟨procps AT freelists.org⟩



procps-ng                                  October 2012                                  PGREP(1)