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Linux Processes

What a process is, how to inspect what is running, how signals terminate or pause them, and how job control works in an interactive shell.

10 articles

Core Dumps on Linux: Debugging Crashes With coredumpctl When a program crashes, Linux can save a snapshot of its memory. How core dumps work, where systemd-coredump stores them, how to list and inspect crashes with coredumpctl and gdb, get debug symbols with debuginfod, and control disk use. systemd User Services: Running Your Own Services Without Root systemctl --user lets any user run background services and timers under their own account, with logging, restarts, and dependencies. Where unit files go, how lingering keeps them running after logout, and common pitfalls over SSH. Dinit Explained: The Small Init System Chimera, Artix, and KaOS Chose Over systemd Dinit is a dependency-based init and service manager that fits between runit and systemd. How it boots a system, how service files and dinitctl work, how it compares to systemd, OpenRC and runit, and why distros are adopting it. sched_ext Explained: Swapping the Linux CPU Scheduler at Runtime With BPF Since Linux 6.12 you can replace the CPU scheduler on a running system with one written in BPF, and switch back without rebooting. How sched_ext works, what scx_lavd and the other schedulers do, and whether it helps gaming. nice, renice, and ionice: Controlling Process Priority on Linux A backup job should not make your desktop stutter. Priority tools let you tell the kernel which work matters less, for both CPU time and disk access, and the disk one is usually the fix people actually need. The /proc Filesystem Explained /proc is a virtual filesystem that exposes live kernel and process information as ordinary files, and it is what tools like ps, free, and top actually read from. This guide covers what /proc is, its most useful files, and how to read it directly. Understanding Process Signals on Linux Signals are how Linux tells a running process to stop, reload, or respond to an event. This guide covers the most important signals, the real difference between SIGTERM and SIGKILL, and how to send and handle them. Killing Processes in Linux Killing a process on Linux means sending it a signal. Understanding the difference between SIGTERM and SIGKILL, how to find the right process to target, and what to do when a process refuses to die covers everything you need. ps vs top vs htop: Monitoring Linux Processes ps, top, and htop are the three main tools for inspecting running processes on Linux. Each serves a different purpose. This guide covers what each tool is best for, the most useful commands and keyboard shortcuts, and how to get the information you actually need. Understanding Linux Processes Every running program on Linux is a process. Understanding process IDs, states, parent-child relationships, signals, and how the kernel schedules work is essential for diagnosing problems and administering any Linux system.

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