---
name: "pscolor"
section: "5"
platform: "linux"
package: "pscol"
version: "2.2-4"
release: "Debian 2.0 (Hamm)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/pscolor"
---

# pscolor(5)

color definitions for ps(1) and top(1)

## NAME

pscolor - color definitions for [**ps**(1)](/ps/1.md) and [**top**(1)](/top/1.md)

## SYNOPSIS

**/etc/pscolor**

**$HOME/.pscolor**

## DESCRIPTION

The *pscolor* file tells [**pscol**(1)](/pscol/1.md) to setup the colorization variables in your shell.

## FORMAT

Each line is made up of:\
 *type*,*date*,*color*\
 The config file looks like this:

\[COMMON\]\
 *type*,*date*,*color*\
\
 	...\
 *type*,*date*,*color*

\[PS\]\
 *type*,*date*,*color*\
\
 	...\
 *type*,*date*,*color*

\[TOP\]\
 *type*,*date*,*color*\
\
 	...\
 *type*,*date*,*color*

Anything that follows a # sign and blank lines will be ignored.  If you want to include all of **PS** in **TOP**, put **=PS** under **\[TOP\]**.  Same is true for **PS** to include **TOP**.  **\[COMMON\]** is just that but you have to include it using **=COMMON** (placement usually matters in ps/top). **\[COMMON\]** may not include **PS** or **TOP**.  If both **PS** and **TOP** are not present, but **\[COMMON\]** is, **\[COMMON\]** will become both.  You can also put *#!/usr/bin/pscol* at the beginning to use the color file as a script.\
 Confusing?  See examples.

**type**		*data*			description\
 **1/unk**				not yet implemented\
 **2/user**	*uid/name/+*	any process belonging to user with uid/name *s*\
 **3/state**	*char state*	any process with state *s*\
 **4/mem**	*% mem*		any process using more than *s*% phys. memory\
 **5/cpu**	*% cpu*		same as above, but cpu usage\
 **6/size**	*size in K*		any process alrger than *size* k\
 **7/tty**	*tty(char 4)*	any process having controlling terminal s

- *unk*

  Unknown.  This is part of proc ps that wasn't defined.

- *user*

  Shows processes owned by *user*.  *user* may be a colon seperated list of usernames.  If *user* is a user name, that user name is converted to a number.  If *user* is a +, it will be replaced by the uid of the person who ran pscol.

- *state*

  Shows processes that have state *s*.  State can be one of:\
   **\<** Niced process (level \< 0, usually privilaged)\
   **\>** Process exceeded soft limits?\
   **D** uniteruptible sleeping (probably **D**ead)\
   **N** Niced process (level \> 0)\
   **R** running processes (You really should go catch it!)\
   **S** sleeping processes\
   **T** suspended processes\
   **W** Swapped out (usually following an **S**)\
   **Z** zombied processes

- *mem*

  Percentage of memory used.

- *cpu*

  Percentage of cpu used.

- *size*

  Any process using more then *size*k of ram

- *tty*

  Any process running on *tty* without /dev and tty.\
   Examples: 1 p0 C2 S4\
   **NOTE** this will segfault [**ps**(1)](/ps/1.md) 1.09.  I do not know about other versions.

Colorization can be done 2 ways.\
 1: use ANSI codes (leaving off **ESC**\[ and the trailing m)\
 2: use words.

**ANSI CODES**\

- **1**

  Set high intensity attribute (BOLD)

- **4**

  Set underscoring attribute (not all terminals)

- **5**

  Set blinking attribute

- **7**

  Set reverse video attribute

- **8**

  Set concealed attribute (useless)

- **FG BG**

  - **30 40**

  black

- **31 41**

  red

- **32 42**

  green

- **33 43**

  yellow (low intensity yields brown on some terminals)

- **34 44**

  blue

- **35 45**

  magenta

- **36 46**

  cyan

- **37 47**

  white

If you'd rather not look at the above EVERYTIME you want to add another color or to even change a color.  You may want to use the word format:\
 **\[***blink***\]** **\[***bright***\]** *foreground color* **\[***on* *background color***\]**

- **blink**

  *Sets blinking attribute*

- **bright**

  *Sets the hight intensity attribute (BOLD)*

- **black**

  *Set color to black (default for background)*

- **blue**

  *Set color to blue*

- **green**

  *Set color to green*

- **cyan**

  *Set color to cyan*

- **red**

  *Set color to red*

- **magenta**

  *Set color to magenta*

- **yellow**

  *Set color to yellow (low intensity yields brown on some terminals)*

- **white**

  *Set color to white (default for the foreground)*

*Each of these can be shortened to only 3 characters.  (Actually, pscol* *only reads the first 3 letters of the color, so if you put 'blueiscool' for* *the color, pscol will read it as 'blu')*

## EXAMPLES

*See pscolor for an example.  See pscolor.1 and pscolor.2 for* *more examples*

## AUTHOR

*William Thompson, \<wakko@ani.ml.org\>, \<wakko@kite.ml.org\>.*

## SEE ALSO

**ps***(1),* **ps\_color***(7),* **pscol***(1),* **top***(1)*