Linux Shell Scripting Cookbook - Third Edition

Filters with ps for real user or ID, effective user or ID

The ps command can group processes based on the real and effective usernames or IDs specified. The ps command filters the output by checking whether each entry belongs to a specific effective user or a real user from the list of arguments.

• Specify an effective user's list with -u EUSER1, EUSER2, and so on
• Specify a real user's list with -U RUSER1, RUSER2, and so on

Here's an example of this:

    # display user and percent cpu usage for processes with real user
    # and effective user of root
    $ ps -u root -U root -o user,pcpu

The -o may be used with -e as -eo but when filters are applied, -e should not be used. It overrides the filter options.