Ptree

Ptree is a command-line utility designed to display the process tree of a running system. It visually represents the parent-child relationships between processes, making it easier to understand how processes are initiated and managed. The output of Ptree typically shows each process on a new line, indented to reflect its position in the hierarchy. The parent process is usually listed first, followed by its child processes, and then their respective children, and so on. This hierarchical display helps in diagnosing issues related to process management, identifying orphaned processes, or understanding the dependencies between different parts of a software application. Ptree is available on various Unix-like operating systems, including Linux and macOS. Its common usage involves running the command with no arguments to display the entire process tree, or with specific process IDs to show the subtree originating from a particular process. Some versions of Ptree offer options to display additional information about each process, such as its process ID (PID), user, or command line arguments. It is a valuable tool for system administrators and developers for monitoring and debugging system activity.