---
name: "proc_pid_oom_score"
section: "5"
platform: "linux"
package: "man-pages"
version: "6.19-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/proc_pid_oom_score"
---

# proc\_pid\_oom\_score(5)

OOM-killer score

## NAME

/proc/pid/oom\_score - OOM-killer score

## DESCRIPTION

- */proc/*pid*/oom\_score* (since Linux 2.6.11)

  This file displays the current score that the kernel gives to this process for the purpose of selecting a process for the OOM-killer. A higher score means that the process is more likely to be selected by the OOM-killer. The basis for this score is the amount of memory used by the process, with increases (+) or decreases (-) for factors including:

  - •

    whether the process is privileged (-).

-

  Before Linux 2.6.36 the following factors were also used in the calculation of oom\_score:

  - •

    whether the process creates a lot of children using [**fork**(2)](/fork/2.md) (+);

  - •

    whether the process has been running a long time, or has used a lot of CPU time (-);

  - •

    whether the process has a low nice value (i.e., \> 0) (+); and

  - •

    whether the process is making direct hardware access (-).

-

  The *oom\_score* also reflects the adjustment specified by the *oom\_score\_adj* or *oom\_adj* setting for the process.

## SEE ALSO

[**proc**(5)](/proc/5.md), [**proc\_pid\_oom\_score\_adj**(5)](/proc_pid_oom_score_adj/5.md)