---
name: "waitpid"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "util-linux"
version: "2.42.4-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/waitpid"
---

# waitpid(1)

utility to wait for arbitrary processes

## NAME

waitpid - utility to wait for arbitrary processes

## SYNOPSIS

**waitpid** \[-v\] \[**--timeout**\|**-t** *seconds*\] PID\[:inode\]...

## DESCRIPTION

**waitpid** is a simple command to wait for arbitrary non-child processes.

It exits after all processes whose PIDs have been passed as arguments have exited.

Optionally, a process can be addressed with the format *PID:inode*. The *inode* identifies the unique process’s file descriptor. To retrieve a process’s inode number you can use the [**getino**(1)](/getino/1.md) utility.

## OPTIONS

- **-v**, **--verbose**

  Be more verbose.

- **-t**, **--timeout** *seconds*

  Maximum wait time.

- **-e**, **--exited**

  Don’t error on already exited PIDs.

- **-c**, **--count** *count*

  Number of process exits to wait for.

- **-h**, **--help**

  Display help text and exit.

- **-V**, **--version**

  Display version and exit.

## EXIT STATUS

**waitpid** has the following exit status values:

**0**

success

**1**

unspecified failure

**2**

system does not provide necessary functionality

**3**

timeout expired

## AUTHORS

*Thomas Weißschuh* \<thomas@t-8ch.de\>

## SEE ALSO

[**waitpid**(2)](/waitpid/2.md) **wait**(1P) [**getino**(1)](/getino/1.md)

## REPORTING BUGS

For bug reports, use the *issue tracker* \<https://github.com/util-linux/util-linux/issues\>.

## AVAILABILITY

The **waitpid** command is part of the util-linux package which can be downloaded from *Linux Kernel Archive* \<https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/util-linux/\>.