https://blog.corneschi.ro/tags/processes/Recent content in Processes on Daniel CorneschiHugoenDaniel CorneschiSat, 10 Oct 2026 16:22:15 +0300https://blog.corneschi.ro/cheatsheet/ps/Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://blog.corneschi.ro/cheatsheet/ps/<h2 id="syntax-styles">Syntax Styles</h2> <p><code>ps</code> supports three styles of options that can be mixed but behave differently:</p> <table> <thead> <tr> <th>Style</th> <th>Syntax</th> <th>Example</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td><strong>UNIX</strong></td> <td>Single dash</td> <td><code>ps -ef</code></td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>BSD</strong></td> <td>No dash</td> <td><code>ps aux</code></td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>GNU long</strong></td> <td>Double dash</td> <td><code>ps --forest</code></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <blockquote> <p>Mixing styles works but can change the output: <code>ps -fp 310,311</code> prints the UNIX full format, while <code>ps -fp 310 311</code> treats the second PID as a BSD-style argument and the columns change (a <code>STAT</code> column appears, <code>TIME</code> gets shorter). Stick to one style per command when possible.</p> </blockquote>