add the customary redhat FAQ

FAQ

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+Why does "ps -aux" complain about a bogus '-'?
+
+According to the POSIX and UNIX standards, the above command asks to display
+all processes with a TTY (generally the commands users are running) plus all
+processes owned by a user named "x". If that user doesn't exist, then ps will
+assume you really meant "ps aux". The warning is given to gently break you of a
+habit that will cause you trouble if a user named "x" were created.
+
+
+Why don't I see SMP (per-CPU) stats in top?
+
+You didn't enable it. Press '?' for built-in help or read the man page. Per-CPU
+stats are disabled by default because they take up too much space. Some Linux
+systems have hundreds of CPUs.
+
+
+Why do long usernames get printed as numbers?
+
+The UNIX and POSIX standards require that user names and group names be printed
+as decimal integers when there is not enough room in the column. Truncating the
+names, besides being a violation of the standard, would lead to confusion
+between names like MichelleRichards and MichelleRichardson. The UNIX and POSIX
+way to change column width is to rename the column:
+
+     ps -o pid,user=CumbersomeUserNames -o comm
+
+The easy way is to directly specify the desired width:
+
+     ps -o pid,user:19,comm
+
+
+Why is %CPU underreported for multi-threaded (Java, etc.) apps?
+
+You need to upgrade to the 2.6.10 kernel at least. Older kernels do not provide
+a reasonable way to get this information.
+
+
+Why do ps and top show threads individually?
+
+The 2.4.xx kernel does not provide proper support for grouping threads by
+process. Hacks exist to group them anyway, but such hacks will falsely group
+similar tasks and will fail to group tasks due to race conditions. The hacks
+are also slow. As none of this is acceptable in a critical system tool, task
+grouping is not currently available for the 2.4.xx kernel. The 2.6.xx kernel
+allows for proper thread grouping and reporting. To take advantage of this,
+your programs must use a threading library that features the CLONE_THREAD flag.
+The NPTL pthreads provided by recent glibc releases use CLONE_THREAD.
+
+
+What systems are supported?
+
+Linux 2.4.xx and 2.6.xx are commonly tested and expected to work well. SMP is
+well supported. Multi-node cluster views require a multi-node /proc filesystem;
+without that you will see a single-node view.
+
+
+Where to I send bug reports?
+
+You may use the Debian bug tracking system or send your report to
+procps-feedback@lists.sf.net (no subscription required) instead.
+
+
+Why are there so many procps projects?
+
+The original maintainer seems to have had little time for procps. Whatever his
+reasons, the project didn't get maintained. Starting in 1997, Albert Cahalan
+wrote a new ps program for the package. For the next few years, Albert quietly
+helped the Debian package maintainer fix bugs. In 2001, Rik van Riel decided to
+do something about what appeared to be the lack of a maintainer. He picked up
+the buggy old code in Red Hat's CVS and started adding patches. Meanwhile,
+other people have patched procps in a great many ways. In 2002, Albert moved
+procps to this site. This was done to ensure that years of testing and bug
+fixes would not be lost. The major version number was changed to 3, partly to
+avoid confusing users and partly because the top program has been redone.
+
+
+Why does ps get signal 17?
+
+No ps release has ever had this problem. Most likely your system has been
+broken into. You might want to install a more recent version of the OS. If
+you'd rather take your chances, simply upgrade procps.
+