pidof ☆
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Description:
Display the PID number for a given process name
Type: Formula  |  Latest Version: 0.1.4@0  |  Tracked Since: Dec 24, 2025
Links: Homepage  |  formulae.brew.sh
Category: System utilities
Tags: process pid cli system utility
Install: brew install pidof
About:
pidof is a command-line utility that locates the process ID (PID) of a running program by its name. It is particularly useful for shell scripting and system administration tasks where you need to reference or manage specific processes. This tool provides a lightweight and efficient way to retrieve process identifiers without parsing complex system status outputs.
Key Features:
  • Simple command-line interface
  • Returns the PID of the first matching process
  • Lightweight and fast execution
  • Useful for shell scripting automation
Use Cases:
  • Automating process management in shell scripts
  • Identifying PIDs for use with commands like kill or renice
Alternatives:
  • pgrep – pgrep is part of a larger suite and can match processes using complex patterns, whereas pidof focuses on exact name matching.
  • ps | grep – A standard Unix pipeline approach that is more verbose and requires parsing, while pidof provides a direct PID output.
Version History
Detected Version Rev Change Commit
Dec 24, 2025 11:12am 0.1.4 0 VERSION_BUMP 3625dbc9
Oct 26, 2024 9:51pm 0.1.4 0 VERSION_BUMP 7bc17ff0
Sep 13, 2024 12:48am 0.1.4 0 VERSION_BUMP 983ac359
Sep 29, 2023 5:34pm 0.1.4 0 VERSION_BUMP 2d2a04f6
Jan 19, 2023 4:04pm 0.1.4 0 VERSION_BUMP 6626b00a
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