How can you see clearly process data from ps -u $user?

Question

The question is based on this thread.

Problem: to find an installation within the process data

I would like to know how you can see from the following data that I have the updates of MacPorts' ports going on.

I run

ps -u Sam

I get

UID   PID TTY           TIME CMD
  501    79 ??         0:15.95 /sbin/launchd
  501   186 ??         0:01.50 /Library/Google/Google Desktop/GoogleDesktopAgent.app/Contents/MacOS/GoogleDesktopAgent
  501   188 ??         0:01.14 /System/Library/CoreServices/AirPort Base Station Agent.app/Contents/MacOS/AirPort Base Station Agent -launchd -allowquit
  501   193 ??         0:01.55 /System/Library/CoreServices/Spotlight.app/Contents/MacOS/Spotlight
  501   194 ??         0:00.34 /usr/sbin/UserEventAgent -l Aqua
  501   195 ??         0:13.79 /System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Frameworks/ATS.framework/Support/ATSServer
  501   196 ??         0:09.80 /System/Library/CoreServices/Dock.app/Contents/MacOS/Dock -psn_0_28679
  501   197 ??         0:10.99 /System/Library/CoreServices/SystemUIServer.app/Contents/MacOS/SystemUIServer -psn_0_40970
  501   198 ??         0:00.00 /usr/sbin/pboard
  501   199 ??         1:48.90 /System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.app/Contents/MacOS/Finder -psn_0_45067
  501   210 ??         0:17.12 /Library/CFMSupport/CNQL1213_ButtonManager.app/Contents/MacOS/CNQL1213_ButtonManager -psn_0_65552
  501   214 ??         0:01.50 /Users/Sam/Library/PreferencePanes/Growl.prefPane/Contents/Resources/GrowlHelperApp.app/Contents/MacOS/GrowlHelperApp -psn_0
  501   218 ??         0:00.07 /Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/Resources/iTunesHelper.app/Contents/MacOS/iTunesHelper -psn_0_81940
  501   219 ??         2:12.63 /Applications/Personal/Dropbox.app/Contents/MacOS/Dropbox -psn_0_86037
  501   220 ??         0:03.80 /System/Library/Image Capture/Support/Image Capture Extension.app/Contents/MacOS/Image Capture Extension -psn_0_94231
  501   287 ??         0:00.00 /sw/bin/dbus-daemon --nofork --session
  501   402 ??         0:01.19 /System/Library/CoreServices/Dock.app/Contents/Resources/DashboardClient.app/Contents/MacOS/DashboardClient
  501   403 ??         0:00.54 /System/Library/CoreServices/Dock.app/Contents/Resources/DashboardClient.app/Contents/MacOS/DashboardClient
  501  6768 ??        43:54.31 /Applications/Browsers/Firefox.app/Contents/MacOS/firefox-bin -psn_0_270402
  501  7178 ??         0:55.52 /Applications/Browsers/Safari.app/Contents/MacOS/Safari -psn_0_315469
  501  7297 ??         0:00.24 /usr/bin/ssh-agent -l
  501  7482 ??         0:12.13 /Applications/iTerm.app/Contents/MacOS/iTerm -psn_0_344148
  501  7620 ??         0:10.82 /Applications/Browsers/Opera.app/Contents/MacOS/Opera -psn_0_360536
  501  8029 ??         0:03.11 SCREEN -xR
  501 34477 ??         0:06.56 /Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app/Contents/MacOS/Terminal -psn_0_532610
  501 43345 ??         0:01.08 /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Frameworks/Metadata.framework/Versions/A/Support/mdworker MDSImporterWorke
  501 62291 ??         0:10.15 /Applications/Utilities/Activity Monitor.app/Contents/MacOS/Activity Monitor -psn_0_540804
    0 34478 ttys000    0:00.02 login -pfq Sam /bin/zsh
  501 34479 ttys000    0:00.05 -zsh
  501 34497 ttys000    0:00.01 screen -xR
    0  8030 ttys001    0:00.01 login -pflq Sam /bin/zsh
  501  8031 ttys001    0:01.45 zsh
    0 30465 ttys001    0:00.00 ps -u Sam
    0 83953 ttys002    0:00.01 login -pflq Sam /bin/zsh
  501 83957 ttys002    0:00.07 zsh
    0 24515 ttys003    0:00.01 login -pflq Sam /bin/zsh
  501 24567 ttys003    0:00.94 zsh
  501 34808 ttys003    0:00.06 vim /Users/Sam/.zshrc

How can you see that I have an installation going on?

Solution

Did you use sudo to run the updates, like this:

sudo port ...

If so, the update is not running as your account, but as root. You could try a command like this to see if "port" was running:

ps aux | grep port

Try that and let me know what you see.

Comments

[Léo Léopold Hertz 준영]

@Anthony: I see now files.getdropbox.com/u/175564/ps-aux-problem.png

[Dennis Williamson]

You might need to use grep -i port or grep Port if it's not all lowercase.

[Anthony Lewis]

Is the MacPorts update still running? Once it finishes, the process will end and it won't show up when you run "ps".

[Anthony Lewis]

That still doesn't show that the "port" command is running...

[Léo Léopold Hertz 준영]

@Anthony: You are right. The command's execution seems to be ended. --- I will try your advice next time when I update my system. --- Thank you for your answers!

[jldugger]

Does OSX not have pgrep?

[Chealion]

@jldugger - Not out of box.