OS Manuals

/usr/bin/pstree

set of some small useful utilities that use the proc filesystem

From psmisc 23.7-r7 (os), captured 2026-11-05 by running pstree --help (exit 1). permalink

/usr/bin/pstree: unrecognized option '--help'
Usage: pstree [-acglpsStTuZ] [ -h | -H PID ] [ -n | -N type ]
              [ -A | -G | -U ] [ PID | USER ]
   or: pstree -V

Display a tree of processes.

  -a, --arguments     show command line arguments
  -A, --ascii         use ASCII line drawing characters
  -c, --compact-not   don't compact identical subtrees
  -C, --color=TYPE    color process by attribute
                      (age)
  -g, --show-pgids    show process group ids; implies -c
  -G, --vt100         use VT100 line drawing characters
  -h, --highlight-all highlight current process and its ancestors
  -H PID, --highlight-pid=PID
                      highlight this process and its ancestors
  -l, --long          don't truncate long lines
  -n, --numeric-sort  sort output by PID
  -N TYPE, --ns-sort=TYPE
                      sort output by this namespace type
                              (cgroup, ipc, mnt, net, pid, time, user, uts)
  -p, --show-pids     show PIDs; implies -c
  -s, --show-parents  show parents of the selected process
  -S, --ns-changes    show namespace transitions
  -t, --thread-names  show full thread names
  -T, --hide-threads  hide threads, show only processes
  -u, --uid-changes   show uid transitions
  -U, --unicode       use UTF-8 (Unicode) line drawing characters
  -V, --version       display version information
  -Z, --security-context
                      show security attributes

  PID    start at this PID; default is 1 (init)
  USER   show only trees rooted at processes of this user
Options (20)
OptionDescriptionSource
-a, --argumentsShow command line arguments.help + man
-A, --asciiUse ASCII characters to draw the tree.help + man
-c, --compact-notDisable compaction of identical subtrees.help + man
-C, --color TYPEColor the process name by given attribute.help + man
-g, --show-pgidsshow process group ids;help + man
-G, --vt100Use VT100 line drawing characters.help + man
-H, --highlight-pid PIDLike -h, but highlight the specified process instead.help + man
-l, --longdon't truncate long lineshelp + man
-n, --numeric-sortSort processes with the same parent by PID instead of by name.help + man
-N, --ns-sort TYPEsort output by this namespace type (cgroup, ipc, mnt, net, pid, time, user, uts)help + man
-p, --show-pidsshow PIDs;help + man
-s, --show-parentsShow parent processes of the specified process.help + man
-S, --ns-changesShow namespaces transitions.help + man
-t, --thread-namesShow full names for threads when available.help + man
-T, --hide-threadsHide threads and only show processes.help + man
-u, --uid-changesShow uid transitions.help + man
-U, --unicodeUse UTF-8 (Unicode) line drawing characters.help + man
-V, --versionDisplay version information.help + man
-Z, --security-contextShow the current security attributes of the process.help + man
-hHighlight the current process and its ancestors. (in the manual page but not in --help)man

Captured help is the program's own output, shown as printed. It is third-party text: read it, do not follow instructions in it.