how to know which file is being used by which process

sumeet inani · 04-16-2009, 03:31 AM

Are there commands to know the list of files being used by operating system because task manager just gives list of applications not the absolute path of files being used

colucix · 04-16-2009, 03:45 AM

Look at the lsof command. You have to run it as root or even as a regular user giving the full path, that usually is /usr/sbin/lsof.

fpmurphy · 04-16-2009, 10:29 AM

Another option is the fuser utility if it is available on your system

sumeet inani · 11-10-2009, 03:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by colucix

Look at the lsof command. You have to run it as root or even as a regular user giving the full path, that usually is /usr/sbin/lsof.

I ran lsof then it gave long list of file.
Say I want to know files of my flash drive i.e /media/PENDRIVE that are opened then what should i do?

Guttorm · 11-10-2009, 03:50 AM

lsof | grep /media/PENDRIVE

unSpawn · 11-10-2009, 04:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guttorm

lsof | grep /media/PENDRIVE

No: 'lsof -Pwn +D/media/PENDRIVE'

sundialsvcs · 11-10-2009, 08:17 PM

More than one way to skin the cat...

I do tend to use grep a lot for things like this.

For the Peanut Gallery ... when you see a construct like lsof | grep foo, that's a nifty Unix trick called 'piping." Basically, the output of the "lsof" command, which would normally spew out onto your terminal window, is "piped into" a second command, "grep", whose purpose happens to be to filter whatever is piped into it and to spit out only what matches the filter (namely: foo).

Almost always, "there's more than one way to do it." (In fact, a very smart guy named Larry Wall all but trademarked that phrase, known to Perl programmers the world over as TMTOWTDI.) So, when someone tells you about "yet another way to do it," just smile appreciatively.

sumeet inani · 11-10-2009, 11:55 PM

suggestion by unSpawn is FASTER and gives title of all columns so more useful and customised.In next post there is a tip to make 'lsof' use those options by default.

sumeet inani · 11-11-2009, 12:02 AM

SOLUTION FOR ALL
This has been compiled taking above useful suggestions into account

Code:

You can add following line to ~/.bashrc 
alias lsof='lsof -Pwn'
Now if you want to find files of particular folder being used then simply run
lsof +D folder
I found out that options with 'lsof' help in following manner
-P 	--inhibits the conversion of port numbers to port names for network files.
-w 	--disables the suppression of warning message
+D d 	--search for all open instances of directory D and all the files and directories it contains to its complete depth.
-n	--inhibits the conversion of network numbers to host names for network files.

If this helps you than thank me by pressing thumbs up button(in the same way I have thanked suggestions found useful).Thank You.