---
name: "exitsnoop-bpfcc"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "bpfcc-tools"
version: "0.31.0+ds-7"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/exitsnoop-bpfcc"
---

# exitsnoop-bpfcc(8)

Trace all process termination (exit, fatal signal). Uses Linux eBPF/bcc.

## NAME

exitsnoop - Trace all process termination (exit, fatal signal). Uses Linux eBPF/bcc.

## SYNOPSIS

**exitsnoop \[-h\] \[-t\] \[--utc\] \[-x\] \[-p PID\] \[--label LABEL\] \[--per-thread\]**

## DESCRIPTION

exitsnoop traces process termination, showing the command name and reason for termination, either an exit or a fatal signal.

It catches processes of all users, processes in containers, as well as processes that become zombie.

This works by tracing the kernel sched\_process\_exit() function using dynamic tracing, and will need updating to match any changes to this function.

Since this uses BPF, only the root user can use this tool.

## REQUIREMENTS

CONFIG\_BPF and bcc.

## OPTIONS

- \-h

  Print usage message.

- \-t

  Include a timestamp column.

- \--utc

  Include a timestamp column, use UTC timezone.

- \-x

  Exclude successful exits, exit( 0 )

- \-p PID

  Trace this process ID only (filtered in-kernel).

- \--label LABEL

  Label each line with LABEL (default 'exit') in first column (2nd if timestamp is present).

- \--per-thread

  Trace per thread termination

## EXAMPLES

- Trace all process termination

  \# **exitsnoop**

- Trace all process termination, and include timestamps:

  \# **exitsnoop -t**

- Exclude successful exits, only include non-zero exit codes and fatal signals:

  \# **exitsnoop -x**

- Trace PID 181 only:

  \# **exitsnoop -p 181**

- Label each output line with 'EXIT':

  \# **exitsnoop --label EXIT**

- Trace per thread termination

  \# **exitsnoop --per-thread**

## FIELDS

- TIME-TZ

  Time of process termination HH:MM:SS.sss with milliseconds, where TZ is the local time zone, 'UTC' with --utc option.

- LABEL

  The optional label if --label option is used.  This is useful with the -t option for timestamps when the output of several tracing tools is sorted into one combined output.

- PCOMM

  Process/command name.

- PID

  Process ID

- PPID

  The process ID of the process that will be notified of PID termination.

- TID

  Thread ID.

- EXIT\_CODE

  The exit code for exit() or the signal number for a fatal signal.

## OVERHEAD

This traces the kernel sched\_process\_exit() function and prints output for each event. As the rate of this is generally expected to be low (\< 1000/s), the overhead is also expected to be negligible. If you have an application that has a high rate of process termination, then test and understand overhead before use.

## SOURCE

This is from bcc.

-

  https://github.com/iovisor/bcc

Also look in the bcc distribution for a companion \_examples.txt file containing example usage, output, and commentary for this tool.

## OS

Linux

## STABILITY

Unstable - in development.

## AUTHOR

Arturo Martin-de-Nicolas

## SEE ALSO

[execsnoop(8)](/execsnoop/8.md)