SS(I)                           10/14/75                        SS(I)

NAME
	ss - display system (process) status

SYNOPSIS
	ss [a1] [file]

DESCRIPTION
	SS is a civilized version of ps. It is normally called with
	no arguments and returns a printout of all active processes
	currently in the system. The first argument is used to limit
	the scope of this printout as follows:
	`-x' causes just the processes running on ttyx to be printed.
		If x is omitted (`-'), only the processes running on
		the terminal running the ss are printed.
	`--' causes just the processes owned by the person running the
		ss to be printed. These are exactly those processes
		that the user may kill; they are NOT exactly those
		running off his terminal (the `-' option).
	`name' where `name' is an up-to-6 char, 1st-char alphabetic
		logname causes the ps to find out on which terminals
		(if any) the specified user is currently logged in on,
		and to then print all processes running on those
		terminals. It is thus the most convenient way of
		finding out what someone is doing.
	`.' causes a full listing, just as if a1 was not given at all.
		It is used as a place-holder when specifying just
		arg2 (file).
	`!' causes ss to print a summary of the possible arguments.

	The second arg is used when not running off the standard UNIX.
	It is the name of the current system (generally /tunix or /unix).
	If not specified, ss assumes some addresses which may lead
	to disaster. If so, it tries to detect this case and attempt
	to recover.

	The printout is sorted by ttys (`%' for non-tty associated
	processes). PRI is the priority of the process (127 the
	worst, -127 the best=highest); SZ is the process size
	(exclusive of shared text) in K-words (max = 32); STATE has
	2 parts: 1) if it starts with an `*' the program is in core,
	otherwise it is swapped out, 2) SLP (waiting at high priority),
	WAIT (waiting at low priority), RUN* (runnable), IDLE (being
	created), and ZOMB (died but not gone) are the possible states;
	USER is the owner of the process, if not the root; PID is
	the process id; and COMMAND is the name of the program being run.
	Unlike the old ps, ss seldom misses a COMMAND entry; occasionally,
	though, this field will be blank or "?bad?" indicating the
	name is garbage, or just "?" indicating the name was not
	available.



FILES
	/dev/mem        To get system information
	/etc/utmp       For the `logname' option
	/dev/rk0        Assumed swapping device

NOTE
	ss assumes the location of _proc in normal /unix. If this causes
	a garbage result (i.e. if UNIX has been changed but ss not
	recompiled), supplying a second arg of /unix will override
	the assumption at the cost of taking longer to execute.

DIAGNOSTICS
	If no second arg occurs and one is needed and ss detects the
	problem, it prints "Trying file" in an attempt to specify a
	second arg (file= /tunix or /unix). If the problem is not
	detected, ss exits with no or meaningless output.

	"no namelist" means the second arg either doesn't exist or
	does not contain a symbol table listing a definition for "_proc".

	"can't open files" means the swapper or memory is not readable.


AUTHOR
	Bob Greenberg [bobg]
