Managing Processes in Linux

 Introduction

Processes are running programs in Linux. As a system administrator, you need to monitor, control, and manage processes to keep the system stable and efficient.

Step 1: View Running Processes

Use the ps command to see active processes.

ps aux

➡️ This shows all processes with details like PID, user, and CPU usage.

Step 2: Real-Time Process Monitoring

Use top to see processes updating live.

top

➡️ Press q to quit.

For a more advanced tool, use:

htop

(You may need to install htop first.)

Step 3: Kill a Process

If a process misbehaves, terminate it with its PID.

kill -9 PID

➡️ Replace PID with the process ID number.

Step 4: Check Process Tree

View parent/child process relationships:

pstree

➡️ This helps understand how processes are spawned.

Step 5: Background and Foreground Jobs

Run a process in the background:

command &

Bring a job to the foreground:

fg

List jobs:

jobs

Conclusion

Process management is essential for keeping Linux systems responsive and stable. Next, we’ll cover Linux services and systemd basics.