pstree

Overview

The pstree command displays running processes as a tree. It shows the process hierarchy, making parent-child relationships between processes clear.

Syntax

pstree [options] [pid|user]

Common Options

Option	Description
`-a`	Show command line arguments
`-c`	Don’t compact identical subtrees
`-h`	Highlight current process
`-H pid`	Highlight specified process
`-l`	Long lines
`-n`	Sort by PID
`-p`	Show PIDs
`-u`	Show uid transitions
`-Z`	Show security context
`-A`	Use ASCII characters
`-U`	Use UTF-8 characters

Key Use Cases

Process visualization
System analysis
Process relationships
Debugging
System monitoring

Examples with Explanations

Example 1: Basic Usage

pstree

Show process tree

Example 2: Show PIDs

pstree -p

Show process tree with PIDs

Example 3: User Processes

pstree username

Show user’s process tree

Understanding Output

Example output:

systemd─┬─systemd-journal
        ├─systemd-udevd
        ├─sshd─┬─sshd───bash
        │      └─sshd───sftp-server
        └─nginx─┬─nginx
                └─nginx

Common Usage Patterns

Full process info:
```
pstree -ap
```
Highlight process:
```
pstree -h -p pid
```
Show arguments:
```
pstree -a
```

Performance Analysis

Process table reading
Tree construction
Display formatting
Memory usage
Update frequency

Additional Resources

Display Options

ASCII art
UTF-8 characters
Color highlighting
Line compaction
Sort ordering

Best Practices

Use appropriate display mode
Consider terminal width
Show relevant information
Regular monitoring
Document unusual patterns