FUSER(1)

NAME
fuser - identify processes using files

SYNOPSIS
fuser [-a] [-signal] [-kmuv] filename ... [-] [-signal] [-kmuv] filename ...
fuser [-l]

DESCRIPTION
fuser displays the PIDs of processes using the specified files or file systems. In the default display mode, each file name is followed by a letter denoting the type of access:

    c   current directory.

    e   executable being run.

    f   open file. f is omitted in default display mode.

    r   root directory.

    s   shared library.

OPTIONS

-a  show all files specified on the command line. By default, only files that are accessed by at least one process are shown.

-k  kill processes accessing the file. Unless changed with -signal, SIGKILL is sent.

-l  list all known signal names.

-m  filename specifies a file on a mounted file system or a block device that is mounted. All processes accessing files on that file system are listed. If a directory file is specified, it is automatically changed to filename/. to use any file system that might be mounted on that directory.

-signal
    use the specified signal instead of SIGKILL when killing processes. Signals can be specified either by name (e.g. -HUP) or by number (e.g. -1).

-u  append the user name of the process owner to each PID.

-v  verbose mode. Processes are shown in a ps-like style. The fields PID, USER and COMMAND are similar to ps. ACCESS shows how the process accesses the file.

-   reset all options and set the signal back to SIGKILL.

FILES
/proc	location of the proc file system

EXAMPLE
fuser -km /home kills all processes accessing the file system /home in any way.

RESTRICTIONS
Processes accessing the same file or file system several times in the same way are only shown once.

SEE ALSO
kill(1), killall(1), ps(1)

AUTHOR
Werner Almesberger <almesber@bernina.ethz.ch>