Quick Tip

Taming `ps` Output: Focused Process Info with `awk`

Challenge: The output of the `ps` command can be overwhelmingly verbose, making it difficult to quickly find the specific information you need about running processes.

The Solution: Combine `ps` with `awk` to filter and display only the columns you care about.

ps aux | awk '{print $1, $2, $11}'

Why it works: This command uses `awk` to print specific fields (user, PID, and command name) from the `ps aux` output, allowing for a much cleaner and more focused view of your running processes.

Pro-Tip: You can easily modify the `{print …}` part to include other fields like CPU usage (`$3`), memory usage (`$4`), or start time (`$9`).

Linux Tips & Tricks | © ngelinux.com | 5/20/2026