<page xmlns="http://projectmallard.org/1.0/" type="topic" style="task" id="process-identify-file"> <info> <revision version="0.2" pkgversion="3.11" date="2014-01-26" status="review"/> <link type="guide" xref="index#processes-tasks" group="processes-tasks" /> <include href="legal.xml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude"/> <credit type="author copyright"> <name>Phil Bull</name> <email>philbull@gmail.com</email> <years>2011</years> </credit> <credit type="author copyright"> <name>Michael Hill</name> <email>mdhillca@gmail.com</email> <years>2011, 2014</years> </credit> <desc>Search for a file that's open to display which process is using it.</desc> </info> <title>Find which program is using a specific file</title> <comment> <cite date="2011-06-18" href="mailto:philbull@gmail.com">Phil Bull</cite> <p>Explain how you can search for a file (or part of a filename) and it will show which processes are using it. Explain why this might be useful.</p> </comment> <p>Sometimes an error message will tell you a device (like the sound device or the DVD ROM) is busy, or the file you want to edit is in use. To find the process or processes responsible:</p> <steps> <item><p>Click <guiseq><gui>System Monitor</gui><gui>Search for Open Files</gui></guiseq>.</p> </item> <item><p>Enter a filename or part of a filename. This could be <file>/dev/snd</file> for the sound device or <file>/media/cdrom</file> for the DVD ROM.</p> </item> <item><p>Click <gui>Find</gui>.</p> </item> </steps> <p>This will display a list of running processes that are currently accessing the file or files that match the search. Quitting the program should allow you to access the device or edit the file.</p> </page>
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figures | Folder | 0755 |
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commandline.page | File | 1.95 KB | 0644 |
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cpu-check.page | File | 1.63 KB | 0644 |
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cpu-mem-normal.page | File | 2.14 KB | 0644 |
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cpu-multicore.page | File | 1.12 KB | 0644 |
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fs-device.page | File | 1.53 KB | 0644 |
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fs-diskusage.page | File | 2.14 KB | 0644 |
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fs-info.page | File | 3.18 KB | 0644 |
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fs-showall.page | File | 1.42 KB | 0644 |
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index.page | File | 2.01 KB | 0644 |
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legal.xml | File | 297 B | 0644 |
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mem-check.page | File | 2.81 KB | 0644 |
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mem-swap.page | File | 1.84 KB | 0644 |
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memory-map-use.page | File | 6.06 KB | 0644 |
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net-bits.page | File | 1.39 KB | 0644 |
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process-explain.page | File | 1.62 KB | 0644 |
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process-files.page | File | 1.25 KB | 0644 |
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process-identify-file.page | File | 1.84 KB | 0644 |
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process-identify-hog.page | File | 2.09 KB | 0644 |
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process-kill.page | File | 1.34 KB | 0644 |
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process-many.page | File | 1011 B | 0644 |
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process-priority-change.page | File | 2.87 KB | 0644 |
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process-status.page | File | 2.56 KB | 0644 |
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process-update-speed.page | File | 1.64 KB | 0644 |
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solaris-mode.page | File | 1.8 KB | 0644 |
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units.page | File | 1.53 KB | 0644 |
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