How to Get Process ID in Linux

In Linux, every running process is assigned a unique identifier called a process ID (PID). PID is a numerical value that helps the operating system to manage the processes efficiently. As a Linux user, you might want to know the PID of a process for various reasons such as monitoring system performance, troubleshooting issues, or killing a process.

In this article, we will explore different methods to obtain the process ID in Linux. We will cover both graphical user interface (GUI) and command-line interface (CLI) methods.

Using the ps Command

The ps command is a powerful tool that provides information about the current processes running on a Linux system. The ps command with the -ef option displays a detailed list of all the processes running on the system, including their PID.

ps -ef

The output of the ps command will display the following information:

• UID – the user ID of the process owner
• PID – the process ID
• PPID – the parent process ID
• C – the processor utilization for the process
• STIME – the start time of the process
• TTY – the terminal associated with the process
• TIME – the CPU time used by the process
• CMD – the command that started the process

To filter the output and display only the PID of a specific process, you can use the grep command to search for the process name and pipe the output to the awk command to print only the PID.

For example, to find the PID of the firefox process, run the following command:

ps -ef | grep firefox | awk '{print $2}'

The output will display only the PID of the firefox process.

Using the pidof Command

The pidof command is a simple and convenient tool to obtain the PID of a running process. The pidof command takes the name of the process as an argument and returns the PID of the process.

For example, to find the PID of the firefox process using the pidof command, run the following command:

pidof firefox

The output will display the PID of the firefox process.

Using the pgrep Command

The pgrep command is another useful tool to find the PID of a process. The pgrep command takes the name of the process as an argument and returns the PID of the process.

For example, to find the PID of the firefox process using the pgrep command, run the following command:

pgrep firefox

The output will display the PID of the firefox process.

Using the System Monitor GUI

If you prefer a graphical user interface, you can use the System Monitor application to obtain the PID of a process. The System Monitor is a graphical tool that displays information about the processes running on the system.

To use the System Monitor, open the application from the Applications menu, and click on the Processes tab. The Processes tab displays a list of all the processes running on the system, including their PID.

To filter the list and display only the processes with a specific name, type the name of the process in the search box. The System Monitor will display only the processes that match the search criteria.

Conclusion

In conclusion, obtaining the process ID in Linux is a straightforward task that can be accomplished using various methods. The ps, pidof, and pgrep commands are powerful tools that provide information about the processes running on the system and their PID. The System Monitor is a graphical tool that provides a user-friendly interface to obtain the PID of a process.

We hope this article has been helpful in understanding how to obtain the process ID in Linux.