# proc_pid_cmdline - man(5) - [phpMan]

[_proc_pid_cmdline_(5)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/procpidcmdline/5/markdown)                      File Formats Manual                     [_proc_pid_cmdline_(5)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/procpidcmdline/5/markdown)

## NAME
       /proc/pid/cmdline - command line

## DESCRIPTION
       _/proc/_pid_/cmdline_
              This  read-only  file  holds  the  complete  command  line for the process, unless the
              process is a zombie.  In the latter case, there is nothing in this file:  that  is,  a
              read on this file will return 0 characters.

              For  processes which are still running, the command-line arguments appear in this file
              in the same layout as they do in process memory: If the process is well-behaved, it is
              a set of strings separated by null bytes ('\0'), with a further null  byte  after  the
              last string.

              This  is the common case, but processes have the freedom to override the memory region
              and break assumptions about the contents or format of the _/proc/_pid_/cmdline_ file.

              If, after an [**execve**(2)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/execve/2/markdown), the process modifies its _argv_ strings, those changes will show
              up here.  This is not the same thing as modifying the _argv_ array.

              Furthermore, a process may change the  memory  location  that  this  file  refers  via
              [**prctl**(2)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/prctl/2/markdown) operations such as **PR_SET_MM_ARG_START**.

              Think of this file as the command line that the process wants you to see.

## SEE ALSO
       [**proc**(5)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/proc/5/markdown)

Linux man-pages 6.7                          2023-08-15                          [_proc_pid_cmdline_(5)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/procpidcmdline/5/markdown)