What information does the 'ps' command provide?

What information does the 'ps' command provide?

• A. A list of running processes
• B. System memory usage statistics
• C. Network traffic information
• D. Disk space usage

Answer: (A)

The 'ps' command is used in Unix and Unix-like operating systems to display information about the currently running processes. When executed, it provides a snapshot of active processes, including details such as their process IDs (PIDs), the terminal associated with each process, the CPU and memory usage, the time the process started, and the command that initiated the process. This information is crucial for system monitoring, management, and troubleshooting, as it enables users to identify which processes are consuming resources or behaving unexpectedly. Other options, while relevant to system monitoring, pertain to entirely different commands or tools. System memory usage statistics would typically be gathered using commands like 'free' or 'top', network traffic information can be obtained using tools such as 'netstat' or 'iftop', and disk space usage is commonly checked with commands like 'df' or 'du'. Each of these serves distinct purposes in system administration, highlighting the specific role of the 'ps' command in process management.

The 'ps' command is used in Unix and Unix-like operating systems to display information about the currently running processes. When executed, it provides a snapshot of active processes, including details such as their process IDs (PIDs), the terminal associated with each process, the CPU and memory usage, the time the process started, and the command that initiated the process. This information is crucial for system monitoring, management, and troubleshooting, as it enables users to identify which processes are consuming resources or behaving unexpectedly.

Other options, while relevant to system monitoring, pertain to entirely different commands or tools. System memory usage statistics would typically be gathered using commands like 'free' or 'top', network traffic information can be obtained using tools such as 'netstat' or 'iftop', and disk space usage is commonly checked with commands like 'df' or 'du'. Each of these serves distinct purposes in system administration, highlighting the specific role of the 'ps' command in process management.