Linux › Section H · Processes and resource utilization › Topic H.1
Tracking processes
A single ps listing is a photograph; troubleshooting usually needs a film. This topic shows how to watch processes change over time with top, how to read their family tree and states, and how to ask the kernel directly through /proc.
In this topic
- From a snapshot to a live view
- Driving top from the keyboard
- Reading the top header
- Process families: PPID and the tree
- Process states
- Zombies and orphans
- Worked example: finding a zombie's parent
- /proc: the kernel's view of each process
- Worked example: reading /proc for one process
- htop and atop
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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