1 .\" $FreeBSD: src/share/man/man5/procfs.5,v 1.14.2.5 2001/08/17 13:08:47 ru Exp $
2 .\" Written by Garrett Wollman
3 .\" This file is in the public domain.
10 .Nd process file system
13 proc /proc procfs rw 0 0
16 The process file system, or
18 implements a view of the system process table inside the file system.
19 It is normally mounted on
21 and is required for the complete operation of programs such as
28 provides a two-level view of process space, unlike the previous
32 At the highest level, processes themselves are named, according to
33 their process ids in decimal, with no leading zeros. There is also a
36 which always refers to the process making the lookup request.
38 Each node is a directory which contains the following entries:
40 Each directory contains several files:
41 .Bl -tag -width status
43 a write-only file which supports a variety
44 of control operations.
45 Control commands are written as strings to the
48 The control commands are:
49 .Bl -tag -width detach -compact
51 stops the target process and arranges for the sending
52 process to become the debug control process.
54 continue execution of the target process and
55 remove it from control by the debug process (which
56 need not be the sending process).
58 continue running the target process until
59 a signal is delivered, a breakpoint is hit, or the
62 single step the target process, with no signal delivery.
64 wait for the target process to come to a steady
65 state ready for debugging.
66 The target process must be in this state before
67 any of the other commands are allowed.
70 The string can also be the name of a signal, lower case
74 in which case that signal is delivered to the process
78 The debug registers as defined by
83 The type of the executable referenced by the
91 A reference to the vnode from which the process text was read.
92 This can be used to gain access to the process' symbol table,
93 or to start another copy of the process.
95 The floating point registers as defined by
100 is only implemented on machines which have distinct general
101 purpose and floating point register sets.
103 A map of the process' virtual memory.
105 The complete virtual memory image of the process.
106 Only those address which exist in the process can be accessed.
107 Reads and writes to this file modify the process.
108 Writes to the text segment remain private to the process.
110 Used for sending signals to the process. Not implemented.
112 Used for sending signal to the process group. Not implemented.
114 Allows read and write access to the process' register set.
115 This file contains a binary data structure
120 can only be written when the process is stopped.
122 This is a read-only file containing the process current and maximum
124 Each line is of the format
125 .Ar rlimit current max ,
130 This file is read-only and returns a single line containing
131 multiple space-separated fields as follows:
145 .Ar major , Ns Ar minor
146 of the controlling terminal, or
148 if there is no controlling terminal.
150 a list of process flags:
152 if there is a controlling terminal,
154 if the process is a session leader,
156 if neither of the other two flags are set.
158 the process start time in seconds and microseconds,
161 the user time in seconds and microseconds,
164 the system time in seconds and microseconds,
167 the wait channel message
169 the process credentials consisting of
170 the effective user id
171 and the list of groups (whose first member
172 is the effective group id)
177 In a normal debugging environment,
178 where the target is fork/exec'd by the debugger,
179 the debugger should fork and the child should stop
180 itself (with a self-inflicted
183 The parent should issue a
187 command via the appropriate
190 The child process will receive a
192 immediately after the call to exec (see
195 Each node is owned by the process's user, and belongs to that user's
196 primary group, except for the
198 node, which belongs to the
202 .Bl -tag -width /proc/curproc/XXXXXXX -compact
204 normal mount point for the
207 directory containing process information for process
210 directory containing process information for the current process
211 .It Pa /proc/curproc/cmdline
212 the process executable name
213 .It Pa /proc/curproc/ctl
214 used to send control messages to the process
215 .It Pa /proc/curproc/etype
217 .It Pa /proc/curproc/exe
219 .Pa /proc/curproc/file
221 .It Pa /proc/curproc/file
223 .It Pa /proc/curproc/fpregs
224 the process floating point register set
225 .It Pa /proc/curproc/map
226 virtual memory map of the process
227 .It Pa /proc/curproc/mem
228 the complete virtual address space of the process
229 .It Pa /proc/curproc/note
230 used for signaling the process
231 .It Pa /proc/curproc/notepg
232 used for signaling the process group
233 .It Pa /proc/curproc/regs
234 the process register set
235 .It Pa /proc/curproc/rlimit
236 the process current and maximum rlimit
237 .It Pa /proc/curproc/status
238 the process' current status
240 another symlink that's the same as
250 This manual page written by
251 .An Garrett Wollman ,
252 based on the description
254 .An Jan-Simon Pendry ,
255 and revamped later by