How can you see clearly process data from ps -u $user?

Question

The question is based on this thread.

Problem: to find an installation within the process data

I would like to know how you can see from the following data that I have the updates of MacPorts' ports going on.

I run

ps -u Sam

I get

UID   PID TTY           TIME CMD
  501    79 ??         0:15.95 /sbin/launchd
  501   186 ??         0:01.50 /Library/Google/Google Desktop/GoogleDesktopAgent.app/Contents/MacOS/GoogleDesktopAgent
  501   188 ??         0:01.14 /System/Library/CoreServices/AirPort Base Station Agent.app/Contents/MacOS/AirPort Base Station Agent -launchd -allowquit
  501   193 ??         0:01.55 /System/Library/CoreServices/Spotlight.app/Contents/MacOS/Spotlight
  501   194 ??         0:00.34 /usr/sbin/UserEventAgent -l Aqua
  501   195 ??         0:13.79 /System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Frameworks/ATS.framework/Support/ATSServer
  501   196 ??         0:09.80 /System/Library/CoreServices/Dock.app/Contents/MacOS/Dock -psn_0_28679
  501   197 ??         0:10.99 /System/Library/CoreServices/SystemUIServer.app/Contents/MacOS/SystemUIServer -psn_0_40970
  501   198 ??         0:00.00 /usr/sbin/pboard
  501   199 ??         1:48.90 /System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.app/Contents/MacOS/Finder -psn_0_45067
  501   210 ??         0:17.12 /Library/CFMSupport/CNQL1213_ButtonManager.app/Contents/MacOS/CNQL1213_ButtonManager -psn_0_65552
  501   214 ??         0:01.50 /Users/Sam/Library/PreferencePanes/Growl.prefPane/Contents/Resources/GrowlHelperApp.app/Contents/MacOS/GrowlHelperApp -psn_0
  501   218 ??         0:00.07 /Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/Resources/iTunesHelper.app/Contents/MacOS/iTunesHelper -psn_0_81940
  501   219 ??         2:12.63 /Applications/Personal/Dropbox.app/Contents/MacOS/Dropbox -psn_0_86037
  501   220 ??         0:03.80 /System/Library/Image Capture/Support/Image Capture Extension.app/Contents/MacOS/Image Capture Extension -psn_0_94231
  501   287 ??         0:00.00 /sw/bin/dbus-daemon --nofork --session
  501   402 ??         0:01.19 /System/Library/CoreServices/Dock.app/Contents/Resources/DashboardClient.app/Contents/MacOS/DashboardClient
  501   403 ??         0:00.54 /System/Library/CoreServices/Dock.app/Contents/Resources/DashboardClient.app/Contents/MacOS/DashboardClient
  501  6768 ??        43:54.31 /Applications/Browsers/Firefox.app/Contents/MacOS/firefox-bin -psn_0_270402
  501  7178 ??         0:55.52 /Applications/Browsers/Safari.app/Contents/MacOS/Safari -psn_0_315469
  501  7297 ??         0:00.24 /usr/bin/ssh-agent -l
  501  7482 ??         0:12.13 /Applications/iTerm.app/Contents/MacOS/iTerm -psn_0_344148
  501  7620 ??         0:10.82 /Applications/Browsers/Opera.app/Contents/MacOS/Opera -psn_0_360536
  501  8029 ??         0:03.11 SCREEN -xR
  501 34477 ??         0:06.56 /Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app/Contents/MacOS/Terminal -psn_0_532610
  501 43345 ??         0:01.08 /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Frameworks/Metadata.framework/Versions/A/Support/mdworker MDSImporterWorke
  501 62291 ??         0:10.15 /Applications/Utilities/Activity Monitor.app/Contents/MacOS/Activity Monitor -psn_0_540804
    0 34478 ttys000    0:00.02 login -pfq Sam /bin/zsh
  501 34479 ttys000    0:00.05 -zsh
  501 34497 ttys000    0:00.01 screen -xR
    0  8030 ttys001    0:00.01 login -pflq Sam /bin/zsh
  501  8031 ttys001    0:01.45 zsh
    0 30465 ttys001    0:00.00 ps -u Sam
    0 83953 ttys002    0:00.01 login -pflq Sam /bin/zsh
  501 83957 ttys002    0:00.07 zsh
    0 24515 ttys003    0:00.01 login -pflq Sam /bin/zsh
  501 24567 ttys003    0:00.94 zsh
  501 34808 ttys003    0:00.06 vim /Users/Sam/.zshrc

How can you see that I have an installation going on?

score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered Jul 02 '09 at 20:27

2

Did you use sudo to run the updates, like this:

sudo port ...

If so, the update is not running as your account, but as root. You could try a command like this to see if "port" was running:

ps aux | grep port

Try that and let me know what you see.

answered Jul 02 '09 at 20:27

Anthony Lewis

909
7
8

@Anthony: I see now http://files.getdropbox.com/u/175564/ps-aux-problem.png – Léo Léopold Hertz 준영 Jul 02 '09 at 20:47
You might need to use grep -i port or grep Port if it's not all lowercase. – Dennis Williamson Jul 02 '09 at 20:50
Is the MacPorts update still running? Once it finishes, the process will end and it won't show up when you run "ps". – Anthony Lewis Jul 02 '09 at 20:51
Does OSX not have pgrep? – jldugger Jul 03 '09 at 04:18
@jldugger - Not out of box. – Chealion Jul 03 '09 at 05:34

score 0 · Answer 2 · edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:14

This answer helps to understand the data better.

I run

pstree

I get

-+= 00001 root /sbin/launchd
 |--= 00010 root /usr/libexec/kextd
 |--= 00011 root /usr/sbin/notifyd
 |--= 00012 root /usr/sbin/syslogd
 |--= 00014 root /usr/sbin/ntpd -c /private/etc/ntp-restrict.conf -n -g -p /var/run/ntpd.pid -f /var/db/ntp.drift
 |--= 00015 _usbmuxd /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/MobileDevice.framework/Versions/A/Resources/usbmuxd -launchd
 |--= 00016 root /usr/sbin/update
 |--= 00017 root /sbin/SystemStarter
 |--= 00020 root /usr/sbin/securityd -i
 |--= 00022 root /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Frameworks/Metadata.framework/Support/mds
 |--= 00023 _mdnsresponder /usr/sbin/mDNSResponder -launchd
 |--= 00024 Sam /System/Library/CoreServices/loginwindow.app/Contents/MacOS/loginwindow console
 |--= 00025 root /usr/sbin/KernelEventAgent
 |--= 00027 root /usr/libexec/hidd
 |--= 00028 root /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/CarbonCore.framework/Versions/A/Support/fseventsd
 |--= 00030 root /sbin/dynamic_pager -F /private/var/vm/swapfile
 |--= 00033 root /usr/sbin/diskarbitrationd
 |--= 00034 root /usr/sbin/DirectoryService
 |--= 00036 root /usr/sbin/configd
 |--= 00039 root autofsd
 |--= 00041 root /usr/libexec/ApplicationFirewall/socketfilterfw
 |-+= 00045 root /Library/Google/Google Desktop/GoogleDesktopDaemon.bundle/Contents/MacOS/GoogleDesktopDaemon
 | \--= 96304 nobody (GDImportWorker)
 |--= 00046 daemon /usr/sbin/distnoted
 |--= 00047 root /System/Library/CoreServices/coreservicesd
 |--= 00049 root /usr/sbin/blued
 |--= 00061 _windowserver /System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Frameworks/CoreGraphics.framework/Resources/WindowServer -daemon
 |-+= 00079 Sam /sbin/launchd
 | |--= 00186 Sam /Library/Google/Google Desktop/GoogleDesktopAgent.app/Contents/MacOS/GoogleDesktopAgent
 | |--= 00188 Sam /System/Library/CoreServices/AirPort Base Station Agent.app/Contents/MacOS/AirPort Base Station Agent -launchd -allowquit
 | |--= 00193 Sam /System/Library/CoreServices/Spotlight.app/Contents/MacOS/Spotlight
 | |--= 00194 Sam /usr/sbin/UserEventAgent -l Aqua
 | |--= 00195 Sam /System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Frameworks/ATS.framework/Support/ATSServer
 | |-+= 00196 Sam /System/Library/CoreServices/Dock.app/Contents/MacOS/Dock -psn_0_28679
 | | |--- 00402 Sam /System/Library/CoreServices/Dock.app/Contents/Resources/DashboardClient.app/Contents/MacOS/DashboardClient
 | | \--- 00403 Sam /System/Library/CoreServices/Dock.app/Contents/Resources/DashboardClient.app/Contents/MacOS/DashboardClient
 | |--= 00197 Sam /System/Library/CoreServices/SystemUIServer.app/Contents/MacOS/SystemUIServer -psn_0_40970
 | |--= 00198 Sam /usr/sbin/pboard
 | |--= 00199 Sam /System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.app/Contents/MacOS/Finder -psn_0_45067
 | |--= 00210 Sam /Library/CFMSupport/CNQL1213_ButtonManager.app/Contents/MacOS/CNQL1213_ButtonManager -psn_0_65552
 | |--= 00214 Sam /Users/Sam/Library/PreferencePanes/Growl.prefPane/Contents/Resources/GrowlHelperApp.app/Contents/MacOS/GrowlHelperApp -psn_0_69649
 | |--= 00218 Sam /Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/Resources/iTunesHelper.app/Contents/MacOS/iTunesHelper -psn_0_81940
 | |--= 00219 Sam /Applications/Personal/Dropbox.app/Contents/MacOS/Dropbox -psn_0_86037
 | |--= 00220 Sam /System/Library/Image Capture/Support/Image Capture Extension.app/Contents/MacOS/Image Capture Extension -psn_0_94231
 | |--= 00287 Sam /sw/bin/dbus-daemon --nofork --session
 | |--= 06768 Sam /Applications/Browsers/Firefox.app/Contents/MacOS/firefox-bin -psn_0_270402
 | |--= 07178 Sam /Applications/Browsers/Safari.app/Contents/MacOS/Safari -psn_0_315469
 | |--= 07297 Sam /usr/bin/ssh-agent -l
 | |--= 07482 Sam /Applications/iTerm.app/Contents/MacOS/iTerm -psn_0_344148
 | |--= 07620 Sam /Applications/Browsers/Opera.app/Contents/MacOS/Opera -psn_0_360536
 | |-+= 62291 Sam /Applications/Utilities/Activity Monitor.app/Contents/MacOS/Activity Monitor -psn_0_540804
 | | \--= 62301 root /Applications/Utilities/Activity Monitor.app/Contents/Resources/pmTool
 | |-+= 95918 Sam /Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app/Contents/MacOS/Terminal -psn_0_610453
 | | \-+= 95919 root login -pfq Sam /bin/zsh
 | |   \-+= 95920 Sam -zsh
 | |     |-+= 96345 Sam pstree
 | |     | \--- 96347 root ps -axwwo user
 | |     \--- 96346 Sam pbcopy
 | \--= 96321 Sam /System/Library/Frameworks/PubSub.framework/Versions/A/Resources/PubSubAgent.app/Contents/MacOS/PubSubAgent
 |--= 00177 messagebus /sw/bin/dbus-daemon --system
 |--= 00200 root /usr/sbin/coreaudiod
 |--= 43345 Sam /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Frameworks/Metadata.framework/Versions/A/Support/mdworker MDSImporterWorker com.apple.Spotlight.ImporterWorker.501
 \--= 96302 _spotlight /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Frameworks/Metadata.framework/Versions/A/Support/mdworker MDSImporterWorker com.apple.Spotlight.ImporterWorker.89

An Image of the grep command

alt text http://files.getdropbox.com/u/175564/pstree.png

That still doesn't show that the "port" command is running... — Anthony Lewis, Jul 02 '09 at 20:54
@Anthony: You are right. The command's execution seems to be ended. --- I will try your advice next time when I update my system. --- Thank you for your answers! — Léo Léopold Hertz 준영, Jul 02 '09 at 22:18

How can you see clearly process data from ps -u $user?

2 Answers2

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