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System Management Guide: Operating System and Devices

Free a Terminal Taken Over by Processes

Identify and stop stalled or unwanted processes by doing the following:

  1. Determine the active processes running on the screen by typing the following ps command:

    ps -ef | pg
    

    The ps command shows the process status. The -e flag writes information about all processes (except kernel processes), and the f flag generates a full listing of processes including what the command name and parameters were when the process was created. The pg command limits output to a single page at a time, so information does not quickly scroll off the screen.

    Suspicious processes include system or user processes that use up excessive amounts of a system resource such as CPU or disk space. System processes such as sendmail, routed, and lpd frequently become runaways. Use the ps -u command to check CPU usage.

  2. Determine who is running processes on this machine by using the who command:

    who
    

    The who command displays information about all users currently on this system, such as login name, workstation name, date, and time of login.

  3. Determine if you need to stop, suspend, or change the priority of a user process.

    Note: You must have root authority to stop processes other than your own. If you terminate or change the priority of a user process, contact the process owner and explain what you have done.


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