← Software

lsof

Lists open files and the processes that have them open.

lsof ("list open files") inspects the kernel's per-process file-descriptor tables and reports every open file, socket, pipe, and device. Because everything in Linux is a file, lsof is the universal tool for answering "what is holding this resource?" — from "what is listening on port 443?" (lsof -i :443) to "what is using my unmounted filesystem?" (lsof /mnt).

It ships on every Linux distribution and is essential debugging kit for system administrators.

License: lsof License (BSD-style)

Category: System

Website: https://github.com/lsof-org/lsof

Install

Debian/Ubuntu: sudo apt install lsof
Fedora:        sudo dnf install lsof
Arch:          sudo pacman -S lsof

Authors

  • Vic Abell (creator)
PreviousLogseq Nextltrace
Textbook of Linux — Learn Linux on iPhone — Download on the App Store