In the absence of any options, lsof lists all open files belonging to all active processes.

Dec 12, 2025 · The lsof command helps identify processes and allows users to manage or kill them as needed. This article will explain how to use the lsof command in Linux through practical examples.

lsof ... lsof is a command meaning "list open files", which is used in many Unix-like systems to report a list of all open files and the processes that opened them.

Dec 4, 2023 · Linux simplifies handling a wide range of different resources by treating devices that accept or generate byte streams as files. The lsof command can be used to list open files in the …

The Linux lsof command shows in its output information about files that are opened by a process. In this article, we will discuss the Linux lsof tool using 15 easy-to-understand examples.

Nov 6, 2025 · man lsof The lsof command turns “what’s using this?” into a one‑step answer by mapping open files, sockets, and ports to the exact processes that hold them.

Jan 29, 2019 · This article teaches you how to list opened files by a user or a process by using the lsof command in Linux.

Jun 1, 2025 · Linux lsof command help and information with lsof examples, syntax, security consideration, output, and related commands performed from the Linux command line.

Dec 23, 2024 · lsof is a powerful utility available for Linux and Unix-based systems which literally stands for ‘list (of) open files’. Its main function is to retrieve details about various types of files opened up by …

Lsof will display all open files on the named file system. It will also set its exit code zero when it finds some open files and non-zero when it doesn't, making this type of lsof call useful in shell scripts.