How to get process creation date using script?

[Jack C. Mahaffey]

How do I get the process creation date/time for a process? I want to be able to get the info via a script.

I've got a process that's been running quite a while and I want to run a script that will print the process creation date and time.

jack...

[James R. Ferguson · Accepted solution]

Hi Jack:

The 'stime' from 'ps' represents the process start time. Once it exceeds 24-hours, only the date is given.

For instance, you could report the uid, command, and starting time for all processes with:

# UNIX95= ps -ef -o uid,comm,stime

Regards!

...JRF...

[A. Clay Stephenson]

UNIX95= ps -p ${pid} -o stime

[Jean-Louis Phelix]

Hello,

I'd rather give you this example derived from 'man pstat_getproc'. It will be much more precise ...

Regards,

Jean-Louis.

#include
#include

main (argc, argv)
int argc;
char *argv[];
{
struct pst_status pst;
int target = atoi(argv[1]);

if (pstat_getproc(&pst, sizeof(pst), (size_t)0, target) != -1)
{
(void)printf("Process %d started at %s", target, ctime(&pst.pst_start));
}
else
{
perror("pstat_getproc");
}
}

[Jack C. Mahaffey]

Thanks to all for such a quick response. This web site rules!!!

jack

[Jack C. Mahaffey]

My version of ps does not support the -o option. Here's my attempts:
[8238]root@freprod:/var/adm/sw/save # ps -ef | grep 6323
frs2mgr 6323 6322 226 10:59:33 ? 15:15 MxCase -d maint
root 8186 16113 2 11:20:07 pts/0 0:00 grep 6323
[8239]root@freprod:/var/adm/sw/save # ps -p 6323 -o stime
ps: illegal option -- o
usage: ps [-edaflP] [-u ulist] [-g glist] [-p plist] [-t tlist] [-R prmgroup]
[8246]root@freprod:/var/adm/sw/save #


Jean-Louis... I'm an idiot when trying to write c code. I wouldn't know how to compile. Thanks anyway... :)

[A. Clay Stephenson]

That's what the UNIX95= ps does. It puts ps in XPG4 mode.

[Paula J Frazer-Campbell]

Jack

You need unix95 for the -o option:-

AS Per Janmes post.


UNIX95= ps -ef -o uid,comm,stime



Paula

[Justo Exposito]

Hi Jack,

Try this:
ps -ef | grep 6323 | sed 's/\ \{1,\}/#/g' | cut -d"#" -f6

Regards,

Justo.

[James R. Ferguson]

Hi (again) Jack:

The format is:

# UNIX95= ps ...

Note carefully that the variable UNIX95 is set only for the duration of the command line. It is written as "UNIX95= ", that is with a space character *before* the 'ps' command.

This arms the UNIX95 (XPG4) behavior and thereby allows use of the '-o' option list to create a custom 'ps' output.

Regards!

...JRF...

[Jack C. Mahaffey]

Thanks all. Just learned something new about using UNIX95=

Justo, thanks... Awsome... I added grep -v to exclude the grep invocation.

All examples worked. Thanks again.
jack...

[Jean-Louis Phelix]

Hello Jack,

Juste save it in prog.c and use 'make prog'. That's all ... Call the program with a pid number.

Regards,

Jean-Louis.

[Jack C. Mahaffey]

Jean-Louis, Thanks... I now know how to compile. This should be a good week... :)

[Justo Exposito]

You are welcome Jack.

Regards,

Justo.

[Jack C. Mahaffey]

Jean-Louis - Your example was what I needed. It includes the full timestamp. Thanks...
jack...