ps returns all running processes which are then sorted by the 4th field in numerical order and the top 10 are sent to STDOUT.
ps aux | sort -nk +4 | tail or ps -eo rss,vsz,pid,cputime,cmd --width 100 --sort rss,vsz | tail --lines 10 |
ubuntu@server3:~$ ps aux | sort -nk +4 | tail ubuntu 1537 0.1 1.9 253948 15092 ? Sl 12:13 0:00 /usr/lib/gnome-panel/w ubuntu 1545 0.0 1.9 279028 15112 ? Sl 12:13 0:00 /usr/lib/indicator- ubuntu 1302 0.1 2.0 323316 16488 ? Sl 12:13 0:00 gnome-panel ubuntu 1374 0.0 2.2 119316 17636 ? Sl 12:13 0:00 /usr/bin/python ubuntu 1705 0.5 2.2 265060 17580 ? Sl 12:15 0:02 gnome-terminal ubuntu 1295 0.1 2.9 442536 23388 ? Sl 12:13 0:00 nautilus ubuntu 1658 0.0 2.9 237088 23152 ? S 12:13 0:00 /usr/bin/python mysql 916 0.0 3.0 170128 23960 ? Ssl 12:13 0:00 /usr/sbin/mysqld
$ ps --help ********* simple selection ********* ********* selection by list ********* -A all processes -C by command name -N negate selection -G by real group ID (supports names) -a all w/ tty except session leaders -U by real user ID (supports names) -d all except session leaders -g by session OR by effective group name -e all processes -p by process ID T all processes on this terminal -s processes in the sessions given a all w/ tty, including other users -t by tty g OBSOLETE -- DO NOT USE -u by effective user ID (supports names) r only running processes U processes for specified users x processes w/o controlling ttys t by tty *********** output format ********** *********** long options *********** -o,o user-defined -f full --Group --User --pid --cols --ppid -j,j job control s signal --group --user --sid --rows --info -O,O preloaded -o v virtual memory --cumulative --format --deselect -l,l long u user-oriented --sort --tty --forest --version -F extra full X registers --heading --no-heading --context ********* misc options ********* -V,V show version L list format codes f ASCII art forest -m,m,-L,-T,H threads S children in sum -y change -l format -M,Z security data c true command name -c scheduling class -w,w wide output n numeric WCHAN,UID -H process hierarchy |
ubuntu@server3:~$ ps -eo etime,rss,vsz,pid,cputime,cmd --width 100 --sort rss,vsz | head -n 1 ELAPSED RSS VSZ PID TIME CMD ubuntu@server3:~$ ps -eo etime,rss,vsz,pid,cputime,cmd --width 100 --sort rss,vsz | tail --lines 10 03:42 15188 325268 1312 00:00:00 nm-applet --sm-disable 03:42 16488 323316 1302 00:00:00 gnome-panel 01:55 17580 265060 1705 00:00:00 gnome-terminal 03:41 17636 119316 1374 00:00:00 /usr/bin/python /usr/bin/zeitgeist-daemon 03:12 23152 237088 1658 00:00:00 /usr/bin/python /usr/share/system-config-printer/applet.py 03:42 23388 442536 1295 00:00:00 nautilus 03:47 23960 170128 916 00:00:00 /usr/sbin/mysqld 03:38 37244 123496 1549 00:00:01 /usr/bin/ruby1.8 /usr/bin/puppet master --masterport=8140 03:48 54816 154496 826 00:00:02 /usr/bin/X :0 -nr -verbose -auth /var/run/gdm/auth-for-gdm-t 01:51 173432 775488 1765 00:00:25 /usr/lib/firefox-4.0/firefox-bin ubuntu@server3:~$ |