`ps` command

List running processes.

Processes & services
Package procps
7 options · 7 examples

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Syntax
Common options
Examples
Related commands

Syntax

ps [options]

Provided by the procps package. Run man ps for the full manual.

Common options

Option	What it does
`aux`	Every process with user, CPU and memory (BSD style)
`-ef`	Every process, full format
`-u USER`	Processes of a user
`-p PID`	One process
`--sort=-%mem`	Sort by memory, highest first
`-o FIELDS`	Choose columns
`--forest`	Show the process tree

Examples

All processes
```
ps aux
```
Find a process by name
```
ps aux | grep nginx
```
Top memory users
```
ps aux --sort=-%mem | head
```
Top CPU users
```
ps aux --sort=-%cpu | head
```
Processes of a user
```
ps -u www-data
```

Custom columns

ps -eo pid,user,%cpu,%mem,cmd --sort=-%cpu | head

Process tree
```
ps -ef --forest
```

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