Linux Processes

Process Viewing
To display a sorted list of all processes real-time: $ top To display a nice process tree: $ watch -n.5 pstree -p |_ show PIDs (Process IDs)

Process Descriptions
Example output of pstree: init-+-3*[agetty]  <- init (process control initialization) is the mother of all processes agetty (alternative Linux teletypewriter) is the terminal emulator |-cardmgr     <- cardmgr (PCMCIA device manager) monitors for PCMCIA card insertion and removal |-cron        <- daemon to execute scheduled commands |-devfsd      <- daemon for managing the Linux Device Filesystem (/dev) |-dhcpcd      <- Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol client daemon |-events/0-+-aio/0 |         |-ata/0 |         |-kblockd/0 |         |-khelper |         `-2*[pdflush] |-gpm         <- general purpose mouse server |-kapmd |-khpsbpkt |-khubd |-kseriod |-ksoftirqd/0 |-kswapd0 |-login---bash <- system session |-login---bash---make---make---gcc-+-as  <- some compilation is in progress |                                 `-cc1 |-2*[pccardd] <- PCMCIA related daemon |-syslog-ng   <- system logging utility `-vesafb      <- VESA framebuffer related

Process Monitoring
$ strace [command]